Magic Academy
by skeletonflight
Summary: AU. Valduggery. Valkyrie Cain moves to a magic-based academy, where she learns the art of mastering the elements along with her peers. Along the way she meets a blonde that can walk on walls, a skeleton with an impeccable fashion sense, and a tailor who is perfect at his job. With Serpine out to kill her, and confusing feelings toward a love interest, its an interesting ride.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. Just going to let you know that I do NOT own Skulduggery Pleasant. I took a few things from the story and manipulated it in a way that it works best for the story! Enjoy, rate, comment, review please :)**

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My fingers slowly drummed on the soft material of the car seat. I watched rain patter against the window as we drove. My standard scowl adorned my face when we pulled into the school parking lot.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Valkyrie Cain. I am 16 years old, and today is the start of my first day at this new school. It's a magic school. My mother and father made the decision to send me here in the middle of the year to live in the dorms. Part of me was excited, another part was upset I had to be uprooted from my home to be sent to live here. I understand exactly why my parents have chosen to sign me up; I'm just not 100% happy about it. The school provides classes for all magic types, including Elemental, which is what I am. I can manipulate the elements, fire, water, earth, and air. It's a pretty neat trick.

"Here we are, honey," My mom's soft voice rang out. I glared up at the huge building. I had to admit, it was beautiful. It looked like a castle. Something out of a fairytale. She looked at me sadly, and gave me a small grin.

"Joy." I got out and pulled my suitcase out of the backseat. After my mother and I finished the formalities with class scheduling and dorm assignments with the office, I hugged my mother tight and we bid each other farewell. I trudged up the stairs to the dorms, manipulating the air to carry my luggage for me as I reached the 3rd and final floor.

"There it is," I muttered when I found my dorm room. I walked in, suddenly greeted by a sweet voice with a British accent.

"Hello! You must be my new roommate. I'm Tanith." Said the girl. She was pretty, and had long blond hair and was dressed in full leather.

"Hi, I'm Valkyrie." Setting my suitcase down, I reached out and shook her hand. Glancing around the room, I took in my surroundings. There were two beds on opposite sides of the room, and according to Tanith we each had our own closet. We made small talk for a few minutes when suddenly Tanith got this excited look on her face.

"It's a good thing you came on a Saturday. That gives me some time to show you around the school and meet some people. " Tanith grinned, jumping up. "C'mon. I'll show you around. The third floor is for the girls, and the second floor is for the guys. I don't understand how they managed to cram everyone in just one building, even with not everyone living here. Ah, no matter." She rambled, earning a small smile from me. We walked down to the bottom floor, which was, according to Tanith, "A place where we eat and try not to kill each other on the weekends." Making our way past the exit door and down the hallway, we came to a set of big double doors. They were wooden and filled with intricate designs that swirled around, almost seeming to slither across the grain. Walking in, we were greeted with the sounds of chattering and shouting, the room filled with about 50 other students.

"You look a little nervous," Tanith glanced at me.

"I am a tad. New school, new people.." I trailed off, blinking as Tanith grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. We weaved through tables and plump looking lounge chairs. All of a sudden, I heard a soft pop, and Tanith and I were suddenly stopped in our tracks by a boy with messy hair that appeared out of no where. _A teleporter, _I thought to myself.

"Get out of the way, Fletcher." Tanith groaned. The boy smirked.

"I like a girl who's feisty. Say, Tanith, are you still up for a nice midnight stroll tonight?"

"I was _never_ up for anything with you." She glared down at him. He finally noticed me and reached out a hand.

"Hi, my name is Fletcher. Fletcher Renn. And you are?" Just as I was about to reply, Tanith yanked me past him.

"_Leaving_. Goodbye, Fletcher." I gave Tanith a questioning look. "That was Fletcher Renn. Annoying. Man-whore. Total scumbag, but he can be nice sometimes." With a roll of her eyes, she dismissed the subject. "Anyway, here we…" She trailed off with a large sigh when she saw Fletcher sitting at the table she had led me to. Two other guys sat there, a thin, white, tall looking man in a suit. I blanched a little when I noticed why he was so white—He was a skeleton. I shook off the shock and sat next to Tanith, who had plopped by the other guy, who had all of these scars running along his face.

"Hey, guys. " Tanith spoke, making herself comfortable.

"Who's your friend?" Said the skeleton, nodding toward me.

"This is Valkyrie. Valkyrie, this is Skulduggery Pleasant," She gestured toward the skeleton. "And this is Ghastly Bespoke." I gave them both a small wave. Fletcher sat beside Skulduggery, and had his eyes glued on Tanith who ignored him.

"You're a skeleton." I blurted out, immediately regretting it. I felt blood rush to my face. Tanith snickered, and Skulduggery let loose a low chuckle that sent chills down my spine.

"That I am." He responded, inspecting his sleeve before wiping off lint that wasn't there. I cocked my head to the side, staring at him for a few seconds.

"I guess you see something new every day." I mused, peering into his eye holes. "So what is life like here?" This time, Ghastly spoke up.

"Not very different from your average school, I presume. You go to classes to strengthen your magic skills, go to the standard English, Math, and Science classes, and try to figure out what you want to do with your life." Ghastly shrugged. " I, personally, would like to be a professional tailor, like my father."

"I'm studying to be a detective." Skulduggery said proudly, holding his chin up high.

"What about you Tanith?" I asked.

"Hmm. I'm not sure. I'd like to fight crime.. Something freelance. I don't like being tied down."

"I'll do anything as long as you're in my future, baby." Fletcher finally spoke up, gazing at Tanith. She rolled her eyes, and I saw Ghastly glare at him out of the corner of my eye. Trying to get the attention away from herself, Tanith turned to me.

"So, Valkyrie. What kind of magic are you?" She asked.

"Elemental," I responded, which this time earned me an eye roll. "What?" I asked, curious to what would have brought that response.

"Both Skulduggery and Ghastly are elemental. I'm an Adept, and as you saw before, Fletcher here is a Teleporter. Natural born, in both magic and annoyance." That earned a groan of protest from him and a snicker from Ghastly and I.

"What can you do with your magic?"

Tanith pondered that for a moment before answering. "Well, I can do a few things, but my favorite is being able to climb on walls and ceilings."

"Seriously? That's badass." I said, impressed.

"What, a walking, talking, breathing skeleton isn't impressive?" Skulduggery quipped, crossing his arms.

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say you're _breathing_…" Skulduggery tilted his head at me in a way that I knew, if he had eyes, they would be staring at me, very unamused. I smiled at him as he shook his head.

"Youth these days."

"Hey, I doubt you're much older than I am. " I frowned.

"I may be in the skeleton of a 19 year old, dear Valkyrie, but I assure you I am many years older than you are."

I shrugged. "Well, I can't say you look good for your age." Tanith giggled.

"That's the good thing about this school. No matter how old you are, they let you in." She said. "Skulduggery is the only one here that has aged a few hundred years, however."

"Though, with my façade," Skulduggery interrupted, " I can look 19 again."

"Façade?" I asked, confused.

Skulduggery reached up and loosened his tie, pulling down his shirt to reveal his collarbone. It was adorned with an intricate tattoo. "This is a façade tattoo. All I have to do is touch this and it transforms me back into my full human body for however long I wish. I have to admit, though. Being a skeleton _does _have its perks. It's unnerving looking in the mirror and suddenly being a full human again, no matter how handsome the man looking back is." I blinked at him for a moment.

"I have to admit, that is pretty impressive." Skulduggery nodded, satisfied.

A few hours later, Tanith and I headed back to our room, bidding everyone farewell.

"So, what do you think of everyone?" She asked.

"Well, if everyone is as nice as Skulduggery and Ghastly and you are, I think I'll be alright."

"I can't guarantee that. There are a few people you could stand to stay away from." Tanith thought for a moment. "Fletcher, for one." I laughed. "I promise, I'll take care of you. The teachers are nice and mostly everyone stays out of your way if you just don't bother them."

I considered what she said for a few moments. "Well.. Alright."

"Trust me, Val. Monday will come and go and I assure you, everything will be okay." I smiled at her, thankful for having a roommate that wasn't crazy.

I lay down in bed shortly after, Tanith snoring softly in the bed across the room. I had settled down, moving all of my clothes into the small closet and recapping on the day.

_So,_ I thought to myself. _In one day, I moved schools, met a girl who can walk on the ceiling, skeleton-man who can turn himself back into a person, and a wanna-be tailor with scars all over his head. Not to mention a Teleporter who seems to be struggling with rejection. _

_Yeah. It was a pretty normal day…_


	2. Chapter 2

Sunday came and went, and Monday morning hit me like a wrecking ball. Much to my distain, the academy had the same start schedule as my old school. Classes started at 8, which meant I had to wake up at 6:30 if I wanted to get to class in a good mood. I dragged myself out of bed, slowly making my way into the bathroom. After showering and fixing my hair, I dressed and stepped out to see Tanith awake and dressed.

"Hey! You excited?" She said, pulling her boots on. I shrugged, flopping down on the bed.

"I have to go get fitted for clothes apparently." I groaned. Tanith laughed.

"Ghastly's father does that," Tanith said, grabbing my arms and pulling me up. "It's not bad, I promise. It's protective clothing. It's saved me in the past."

Sighing, I trudged out to the stairs. After eating breakfast and scowling at everything that walked by, Tanith showed me to the tailors shop in the school building. It was just as beautiful inside the school as it was outside. We waved goodbye as I stepped into the shop.

"Valkyrie." I glanced up in surprise to see Ghastly standing there, smiling.

"Hey! I thought your father was going to be—"

"Ah, he is. I help him." He said as a tall man walked out from the back room.

"You must be Valkyrie Cain." He spoke. I nodded, reaching out to shake his hand. The resemblance between Ghastly and his father was uncanny. "Well, let's get started. What colors would you like?"

"Uhm, black. Black's fine." I said. He nodded approvingly.

"Ghastly, you may help her with her shoes."

"This way." Ghastly led me to a separate room. "Sit here." I sat, and a few minutes went by as he worked, instructing me to do whatever I needed to for him to, as his father put it, help me with my shoes. I was a little confused about the whole ordeal, but I suppose in a world of magic you have to keep an open mind about everything.

_Even living in a world of magic,_ I thought, _I haven't been out much. Going to this school might just be the thing I needed. _

"So. Valkyrie." Ghastly said, hovering over the concoction he had me stick my feet in. "Why did you suddenly move here? Most kids come early, both in the year and in age."

"It wasn't my decision. My parent's wanted me to come... They said they wanted me to be able to choose which life I wanted, one with or without magic. They chose without, but I've always been drawn to it. I caught on young; I was setting things on fire as a baby." I grinned as Ghastly let out a small chuckle. "I can't help but feel like they're hiding something from me, though." I shrugged.

"Ah. Parent's do that. I'm sure they have good intentions."

"They always do." After that, Ghastly worked in silence for the next couple of minutes. He gestured for me to remove my feet. I shoved my tennis shoes back on and stood up, expecting to be measured.

"Your clothes will be ready in a few days." He said. I blinked, about to ask how, but decided against it. "What lesson do you have right now?"

"Magic conditioning." I said. "I'm not sure where it is.."

"I can show you. It's a good thing you came here early. You still have plenty of time left. I have to warn you, however, Mr. Bliss can be quite a scare."

"Mr. Bliss?" I asked as he led me out of the room and back into the hall.

"The strongest man you'll ever meet. The school is lucky to have him teaching everyone how to control their abilities better."

"How much more is there to learn?" I pondered out-loud.

"You would be surprised. Even Skulduggery learned a few things."

"You know, Tanith said Fletcher was arrogant, but it seems like Skulduggery has it in the bag."

"You haven't even seen the half of it," Ghastly laughed. "Just wait, Valkyrie. Skulduggery is a good man, but he has his moments."

"I bet." We came up to a large door.

"Here you are. Fighting lessons are also here, but I doubt you'll be thrown right into it. Who knows, Mr. Bliss surprises everyone."

"Oh.." I said. "Well, thank you for showing me around." Ghastly nodded and I entered the room.

Sometimes, life throws curve balls. Other times, you enter a room with a fire ball heading straight to your face.

I gasped, immediately summoning up moisture from the air and manifesting it toward the fire ball, dousing it just before it reached me.

"What the _hell_?" I said, looking around. I was met with a large room sectioned off by clear glass.

"Watch yourself, Scribe." A large man said. I glared at the offender, a short guy with long black hair. "Go make yourself useful." Scribe ran off to a different section, staring at his feet the whole time. The man walked over to me. "You must be Valkyrie Cain."

I nodded. "I am." I made eye contact with him, and felt all of the air disappear from my lungs. A deep coldness settled in the pit of my stomach.

"I am Mr. Bliss. I teach this class. Welcome." His eyes were ice blue. I made a mental note to not get on this teachers bad side. "I apologize for Scribe. He's never been able to catch on to things very well."

"It's fine, no one got hurt." I said, following him as he started to walk toward the dividers.

"Not this time." I raised my eyebrow, questioning, putting another mental note right beside the first one to not be stuck around Scribe in any moment of danger. "I take it you have already been to see Ghastly and his father?"

"Yeah, Ghastly said my clothes will be ready in a few days." Mr. Bliss nodded. We walked past people throwing punches and hitting each other with magic. I stared, fascinated.

_I could get used to this_. I thought, excited to be able to finally learn to properly fight. My parent's never gave me lessons, and I knew that if we weren't born into magic, they would have me locked away somewhere safe. Mr. Bliss led me to a spare section, walking into it.

"I assume you already know the fundamentals of magic?" I nodded. "From your little show back there, it seems your reflexes are up to speed also. I can train you to understand everything about fire, water, and air. We obviously do not encourage the use of earth, and I pray you are smart enough to never use it unless there is an emergency." I nodded again. "Good. Now let's get started."

For the next hour, Mr. Bliss talked to me about the elements and manipulating them. I threw so many fire balls, pushed the air at the glass wall attempting to get it to break, and tried pulling so much moisture from the air Mr. Bliss could swim in it.

"What happens if I get the glass to break?" I asked, throwing a ball of fire at it. I watched the flames dissipate.

"The glass will not break. Not by any student, however. This glass is enforced; only one who has fully mastered the elements will be able to shatter it."

"Has anyone ever broken it before?"

"Not since I've been teaching here."

"Hm." Mr. Bliss took a quick look at his watch.

"Class dismissed. Those who are here for Fighting, gather round." His voice boomed out. I stayed where I was, waiting for everyone. A few people stayed, walking over to where I was standing. A few of them glanced at me, leaning over to whisper something in their friend's ear. I rolled my eyes, tapping my shoe on the floor.

"Valkyrie." I looked over to see Skulduggery striding towards me, his hands in his pockets.

"Skulduggery! Hey. Finally a friendly.. er. Face."

"Ah, yes. Did you have conditioning just before this?"

"Yeah. I got a fire ball thrown at my face."

"That's not like Mr. Bliss to condone that. Did you survive?"

I gave Skulduggery a funny look. "I think so. And he didn't, this guy named Scribe is apparently a bit clumsy when it comes to magic."

"Scribe. Poor fool." Skulduggery laughed, patting me on the shoulder. Mr. Bliss started assigning partners, and thankfully stuck Skulduggery and I together.

"Pleasant, Cain. Pair up." Skulduggery nodded, and we started to walk to a divider before Mr. Bliss spoke up again. "Oh, and Skulduggery. I do realize Valkyrie may have good fighting abilities, but as a new student and as someone who is unknown to everyone on her skill, I ask you to use your façade to give her a fair chance."

I furrowed my brow, and once Skulduggery ad I made it to the section, I looked at him.

"Why would you using your façade make it easier on me?" I asked, pulling my hair back into a pony tail.

"Well, like I explained the other day, the façade turns me back into a full human. That includes muscles, skin, a beating heart, and lungs that can run out of breath." He shrugged, loosening his tie. "I understand Mr. Bliss's concern. I _am_ an excellent fighter." Remembering Ghastly and I's previous conversation, a grin started creeping across my face, and I ducked my head to hide it. I heard Skulduggery take a deep breath, and once I got my composure back I glanced back up. And for the second time in one day, I got my breath robbed from me.

The long bones in his hand turned into long fingers, flexing as he adjusted his suit. His suit seemed to change size from his shapeless skeleton to the lean muscle that now covered the bone. He rolled his shoulders, now broad and full of power. His skull was now covered with smooth skin, a small shade of stubble covering his strong jawline. His eyes were wide, a bright green color. His hair was brown and messy, strangely fitting yet completely opposite of his immaculate suit.

Why he would chose to stay a skeleton the majority of the time, I will never know.

He started to unbutton his suit jacket, shucking it off and folding it gently, sitting it beside the glass wall along with his hat. Rolling his sleeves up, he sauntered over to me, cracking his knuckles.

"Ready to be beaten into the ground?" He said, forcing my attention up from his arms up to his face. He was lean, but I could see muscle coiled around his bones, ready to be put to use.

I laughed. "Ladies first." I said, cocking my head at him. He stared at me for a few moments, and then lunged.

I jumped, pushing my palms toward the earth and focusing on the air, propelling myself up. Skulduggery grabbed my leg, yanking me down. I hit the ground face first, groaning as I felt my cheek push into the floor.

"Using magic in a fist fight. Dirty dirty." Skulduggery taunted as I got up. This time I was the one rolling my shoulders.

"There are no rules of fighting. Keep it up, Cain." Mr. Bliss walked by. I smirked, and Skulduggery gave me an offended look.

"It appears you are mocking me, Valkyrie." I held my hands in front of me in a surrendering pose. Skulduggery's brow furrowed deep. "Are you doing what I think you're doing? Now Ms. Cain that's not-" I shoved my hands farther out, pushing the air toward him. He ducked, the wind rustling his hair. "I knew it." He muttered, diving for me again. I jumped backwards, trying to dodge his fists. I saw him stop for a split moment as he walked toward me, pushing me backwards. I took another step back and slipped, my butt hitting the floor. Looking down, I saw a small puddle of water where I was stepping at.

"Who's fighting dirty now?" I said, clicking my fingers. A flame grew in my hand, and I chunked it at Skulduggery. He easily dodged it, a smile skimming across his face.

"You're getting sloppy, Valkyrie." I scowled at him, jumping up and trying to displace the air around him. He seemed to know when and where I was going to manipulate it. I was starting to get frustrated, and I felt an angry blush start to prickle at my cheeks. "You have to watch your enemy. You have to see them. Feel them. Estimate their every move, and moves they would never do."

"I'm your enemy?" I asked, running toward him and throwing a few punches. He blocked every single one of them.

"Quite the opposite, Ms. Cain." Before I had time to think on that, he landed an elbow in my side, pushing the air out of my lungs. I gasped, moving to kick him. He blocked, grabbing ahold of my calf and twisting. I spun, one again finding myself about the meet the floor. I caught myself on my hands, shoving backwards and flipping, turning back around just as he was about to wrap his arm around my neck. I caught his elbow, twisting it around. He grunted in pain, but easily broke free. I swung a fist out again and he ducked, and I suddenly found myself with water running down my face. I sputtered, reeling back and trying to wipe my eyes clean. I heard Skulduggery move, and when I was finally able to see, I didn't see him anywhere. I blinked in confusion before realizing the mistake I made, spinning around a little too late.

Skulduggery smashed into me, shoving me to the floor. My head slammed into the ground and I groaned, trying to fight free. He laid one of his long legs across mine, keeping me from being able to kick. I managed to land one punch, but his hands quickly found my wrists, pinning them above me. Skulduggery used one hand to keep his full weight off of me. His eyes were gleaming in amusement. His hair was messed up even more, and his forehead sheened with moisture. A small droplet of sweat dripped off of his forehead and onto my cheek. I struggled to breathe, and I quite sure it was because we were just fighting.

"Good game. You could use a bit more training though." He smirked at me before standing back up, reaching out a hand to help me up. I glared at him for a few seconds before taking it, pulling myself to my feet.

"Ouch. That's gonna be sore tomorrow." I groaned, rubbing my shoulder. Skulduggery chuckled and walked toward his coat, sliding it on. I straightened out my own clothes, wiping the sweat off my face with my t-shirt and fixing my pony tail. By the time I glanced back at Skulduggery, he had already gotten his hat on and removed the façade. I glanced up and down his now skeletal frame.

_What a difference muscle and skin can make on size. On your face, too.._

Skulduggery made his way over, his hands once more in his pockets.

"I have to say, you gave me a bit more of a challenge than I thought you would. But, as usual, I came out on top." I rolled my eyes, sighing. "You're good, Cain."

"You too, Skulduggery. " His eye sockets seemed to focus on me, his head tilted to the side.

The day carried on, and I went to all the rest of my classes without incident. Thankfully, Mr. Bliss had let us shower before moving on to our next class, so I didn't do through the entire day smelling like body odor.

At the end of the day I stumbled into the dorm room, dead tired. Tanith and I didn't have any classes together, which was a great disappointment. I laid down face first on the bed, and I was asleep 5 minutes later.

My sleep was interrupted, however, when I heard Taniths laugh from outside the door. I checked my mobile, and was surprised to see that I had passed out for two hours. Tanith walked inside, a smile on her face. Glancing at the door, I saw the scarred head of Ghastly walk by.

"Hey! I should have figured you were here. How was your first day?" She exclaimed, plopping down on the bed beside me. I groaned, burrowing my head into the pillow. "I'm sorry, what was that? I don't speak grumpy." Leaning up, I looked at her. Her eyes were bright and excited.

"Well, I got fitted for my clothes, was lectured about magic for an hour, and got my ass kicked by a skeleton turned into a man. How's that for a first day?"

"Oooh, you got paired up with Skulduggery. I heard about that. Well from what some people are saying, he got his ass kicked a little bit, too."

"Hardly." I muttered.

"You'll get better at it. Well, I hope so. Someone needs to put him in his place other than Mr. Bliss." I looked at her questioningly at that, and she waved her hand, dismissing it. "You'll be a little bruised in the morning but you'll be fine."

Tanith and I sat and talked for a few hours, and I noticed any time Ghastly was brought up, her eyes would start to twinkle. I smiled on the inside.

_They would be a cute couple. _I thought, wondering if Ghastly returned her affections.

Eventually, the sun set and Tanith and I settled in for bed. I could already feel my muscles complaining at the work that they aren't used to. I stared at the wall for a few minutes, rolling today's memories through my mind.

The last thing I saw before I fell asleep was Skulduggery's emerald green eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

_Nefarian Serpine propelled himself up to become eye level with the cracked window. His breathing hitched slightly as he laid eyes into the bedroom. The two girls had zero suspicion they were being watched, blindly believing that the academy was completely safe for them. They slept deeply, small snores coming from both beds. His eyes narrowed as he focused in on the form on the far side of the room. Dark hair spilled onto the pillow, her small frame curling into the covers against the cold wind that blew in. The girl had just moved to the school, much to the inconvenience of Nefarian. It would have been so much easier to dispose of her while she still lived with her parents. _

_They had managed to detain the Bespoke fellows physic mother many years ago. He and his father now believed her to have run away… Or be dead. Nefarian had her kidnapped for his benefit, and it had proven to be successful. He has gotten away with many murders since, leaving the detectives who trail him baffled. _

_Nefarian remembered when Bespokes mother had finally broken, telling him an important piece of information that she had hidden from him for months. He remembered it like it was yesterday…_

Blood dripped off of her face, cuts lacerating her head, arms, legs. Nefarian knew she had been hiding something from him, and he didn't work well with not getting his way. He was going to get her to finally tell what she kept hidden.

With another twist of his hand, the woman screamed, her back arching. More blood flowed from her wounds, making her pale and weak.

"Are you finally going to tell me?" Nefarian spoke, releasing his painful red grip on her body.

"You will die." She sputtered, licking blood off of her lips. For a moment, he thought that she was threatening him again until he saw the familiar glazed look in her eyes.

"How?"

"By the hand of a girl. Dark. She will grow powerful."

"Who? How? What is so special about this girl, woman?"

She flinched and moaned, her eyes shutting tight.

"She.. She.." Nefarians eyes widened, grabbing the womans shoulders.

"What?"

"She has blood of the Ancients."

_And indeed she did. Nefarian could feel the power of it pulsing through her veins, practically taunting him to spill it. It took quite a while to finally track her down, and it killed Nefarian inside that he was so close to her, but unable to finish the job. _

_He was told the academy had wards on every entrance, including windows, in the academy. He was lucky he was able to get this close, and he wasn't going to risk having to fight the Cleavers just because he was impatient. He would let the girl grow a bit stronger. Nefarian liked a challenge, and he was sure right now she wouldn't put up much of a fight. He will wait, and at just the right time, he will strike. _

_Lowering himself from the window, he snuck off the grounds, which proved to be much more difficult than sneaking in. Once he made it deep into the woods, he crossed his arms, leaning against a tree and relaxing. There was a small rumble, and suddenly Billy-Ray Sanguine stood in front of him, his sunglasses pushed high up on his nose, despite the only light that filtered through the trees was being reflected from the moon, perched innocently in the sky. _

"_You get rid of 'er?" The Texan spoke, chewing on a tooth pick. Nefarain frowned at him. _

"_I told you, Sanguine. It's not as simple as that. We have to get her alone."_

"_I don't see the big deal about this kid anyway." _

"_If you don't recall, I'm not the only one the psychic said would die as a result of the brat." It was Sanguines turn to frown. _

"_Well, word through the grape vine is that she has become friends with the skeleton." Nefarian growled. _

"_He is always an issue. We will get rid of him soon. Skulduggery knows what happens when he gets close to people, this won't be any different. " _

"_She's just a kid," Sanguine shrugged. "I doubt she'll be too much of an issue. I mean, Christ, boss. I could finish her right now." _

"_No. I'll do it. Once she's gone, all of our problems will be solved. The psychic's premonition will be proven wrong, and that's final." _

"_Whatever you say." _

"_It won't be long. Just a few more weeks, the girl will be dead, and by then we can figure out what to do with the skeleton." _

_The time was approaching quickly, and every cell in Nefarians body craved it. Once the girl was gone, once the last of the ties to the Ancients were wiped off the planet for good, no one could stand in Nefarians way. People will be crawling to him, begging for mercy. _

_He flexed his red hand, looking up through the trees at the moon. _

_He will make her suffer. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I just want to give a quick THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU to everyone that has reviewed my story so far! I really appreciate it. It makes me want to pop out 10 chapters to you every day :3. You guys are fabulous. Keep reviewing, keep reading! **

**Also, if I haven't specified who's P.O.V. it is in, assume it's in Valkyries. **

**SKULDUGGERY P.O.V.**

It had been several weeks since Valkyrie joined the academy. She fit right in, and her sharp tongue and quick thinking gave Skulduggery a run for his money. Sometimes. Skulduggery found her strangely fascinating. He kept all romantic thoughts of the two of them out of his mind. He was, after all, a skeleton (the majority of the time) and a gentleman. It didn't help that both Skulduggery and Valkyrie were very much single, and Valkyrie was very attractive. As far as he knew, Valkyrie didn't have one thought of the two of them in a romantic relationship, and neither she nor Tanith had mentioned anything about it. It was a relief. A slight disappointment, yes, but a relief. Skulduggery didn't have time for that kind of relationship.

He was afraid, however. Not that he would ever admit to it. The school officials had been acting strange lately, and while Skulduggery had direct ties to information when it came to the Sanctuary, they had been silent on the matter also. That honestly hurt his pride, he was a detective. He _detected_ things. Skulduggery was approached by Mr. Bliss, though. He warned him that Serpine had been causing quite a stir, and they feared it had something to do with the academy. Mr. Bliss (and most of the other authority figures) did not view him as a student. Technically speaking, he was just as old as they were. He enjoyed the "student" life; it made him feel more… Human. Young again.

Anyway, the weeks passed without incident. Well, without _deadly_ incident. Valkyrie was very rebellious when it came to respecting her teachers. She and Mr. Bliss had a mutual respect for each other, but that didn't stop her from lashing out. Skulduggery's favorite time, however, was when she disregarded Remus Crux's supposed authority. Skulduggery liked Remus as much as he liked a bug smashed on the windshield of his beloved Bentley. It was funny watching Remus's face light up in red like a stoplight.

Today, however, was the start of the two week break the school let the students on every so often. Skulduggery usually went and did investigations for the Sanctuary, but this time Tanith and Valkyrie convinced him and Ghastly to go with him to a Mage Community shopping center. Skulduggery adamantly refused for days, and Ghastly hadn't been any help. He hid it very well, but confided to Skulduggery that he had feelings for Tanith, so whatever involved her, he was all for. Skulduggery continued to refuse, but Tanith and Valkyrie had ungracefully given him puppy dog looks. Skulduggery had still refused, but the begging look in Valkyries deep brown eyes had sold him. He wouldn't let her know that, not ever.

Skulduggery was currently standing outside, leaning against the hood of the Bentley. Ghastly was with him, being a more patient waiter than Skulduggery was. Valkyrie and Tanith had finally made their way down, Tanith in her usual leathers and Valkyrie in the clothes Ghastly and his father had made for her. They did an especially amazing job on them. Her jeans were tight against her legs, her boots lacing up to her knees. Her tunic was the deepest black, and her coat went down to her knees. She opted for the sleeveless one this day, and it was a vampire red color. Skulduggery found himself staring at her, once more very glad he didn't have eyes. She laughed at something Tanith said, and Skulduggery sighed. Ghastly raised his eyebrows at him.

"What're you guys doing?" Valkyrie asked as they approached the car.

"All sorts of manly things." Skulduggery retorted, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Somehow I doubt that." She muttered, getting in the seat beside him. Skulduggery saw her smile when Ghastly opened the door for Tanith. He glanced back at Ghastly through the review mirror after he followed suit, and Ghastly quickly twitched one eyebrow in response. "So how far away is the mall?" Valkyrie asked, twisting around in her seat.

"About an hour," Tanith said, leaning over. "It's not terribly far, and it's just for mages, which is the awesome part."

"That is pretty awesome. How do they keep regular people out?"

"Well, remember how we told you about how they protect the book of names?" Valkyrie nodded. "It's similar to that. Plus you have to go past some pretty rank neighborhoods, all magic of course, so that wards the sensible people off first."

"Makes sense."

The rest of the car ride was spent with friendly conversation. Ghastly was mostly silent, as usual, Tanith and Valkyrie giggled about whatever girls do, with the occasional bicker between Valkyrie and Skulduggery. She amused him, bringing a ghost smile to his face almost every time she said something sarcastic.

They finally made it to the mall, Tanith and Valkyrie going into full girl mode. They walked ahead of Skulduggery and Ghastly, occasionally dragging them into a store that interested them.

"Tanith seems a lot happier now that she has a woman to hang out with." Ghastly spoke, his eyes locked on Taniths blonde hair. They were too far ahead to hear his hushed voice.

"Indeed. It's excellent; I cannot stand to watch my best friend stray down the feminine path."

Ghastly laughed. "I promise you that would have never happened, Skul."

"You can never be too careful."

Ghastly smiled, watching as the girls slipped into another shop. Skulduggery was about to follow when Ghastly grabbed his arm, pulling him back. His face was somber, serious.

"Skul, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with the Sanctuary. And the abnormal amount of Cleavers roaming the school grounds. "

"You noticed that?" Skulduggery asked, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Of course I did. What is happening?"

"I don't know. Not for sure. All I have been able to find out is apparently Serpine is twisting in his cave. His movement is causing for concern with Sanctuary officials, and they aren't telling me anything. Why, I will never know…"

"Well, you are known for your wreckless behavior."

"Aye, but it usually turns out mostly alright."

Ghastly's eyes searched Skulduggerys face, noticing the stiff way he held his shoulders. It was unusual.

"What's on your mind, Skul?" His head tilted toward the shop door, his sockets seeming to focus on where Valkyrie and Tanith were trying on boa scarves, their cheeks red with laughter.

"I think it has something to do with your mother, Ghastly." He froze, staring at him.

"You… What?"

"I keep hearing them talk about Serpine having a psychic woman in his possession."

"Skulduggery, I know you keep an open mind, but that seems farfetched."

"How many female psychics have you heard of, Ghastly? Or just psychics in general? It makes sense. It is completely like Serpine to do something like this. There has been zero trace on your mother for so many years, and now this?" Skulduggery turned to look at him, and a sharp pang went through him at the pain in Ghastlys eyes. "I think she's alive, Ghas. I think Serpine has her, and is using her in some sick way. You _know_ what Serpine is like—"

"Yes, but Serpine has been off the map for god knows how long. Why would he do something like this?"

"Maybe he fears something. Someone may have threatened him. He gets touchy."

Ghastly paused for a moment. "Even if he does have my mother, there is nothing we can do about it, Skulduggery. Not until the Sanctuary makes a move, and then all hell will break loose."

"I'm afraid all hell is going to break loose anyway."

The day passed without incident, and it was late into the evening before they started their journey back to the school. Ghastly asked to drive the Bentley, and after a moments consideration, he said yes. Tanith joined him in the front. Valkyrie chose the middle seat, the side filled with shopping bags. It wasn't but 10 minutes into the car trip when Skulduggery felt a warm pressure on his shoulder. Valkyrie had fallen asleep, her head resting against his bony arm. He froze, unsure what to do. Tanith looked back and grinned, her eyes sparkling with delight.

An hour passed, and Valkyrie was in a deep sleep that she showed no sign of waking up from. Skulduggery gently pulled her out of the car, curling her up into his arms. Despite his cold bones seeping through his suit, she pressed her face into his collarbone, her breathing deep and slow. They finally made it up to the dorms, Tanith undoing Valkyries shoes before Skulduggery slid her into the sheets. Motioning for Ghastly and him to follow her, she walked out the dorm room, closing the door gently behind her.

"What's up?" Skulduggery asked, leaning against the wall.

"I don't know if you're just that boring or what, but that's the first time I've seen Valkyrie look peaceful while sleeping in ages." Choosing to ignore the jab, he asked her to elaborate. "She's been having these nightmares lately. I wake up in the middle of the night hearing her whimper and she looks like she's in pain. I ask her about it in the mornings but she denies it."

"That's odd." Skulduggery said, scratching an area below the brim of his hat.

"The weirdest part is that she keeps mumbling about a man with a red hand in her sleep."

"A man with—Serpine?"

"I think so. I asked her if she had ever heard of his name and she said no. So how would she have been dreaming about him?"

Skulduggery thought for a moment, before his entire inner core went cold.

Psychics can communicate to those in danger through dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**You guys are amazing. Keep reviewing, keep reading!**

Tanith stood behind me as I stared at myself in the mirror. Her hands worked on my hair, pulling it into a tight French braid down my back. Despite it being break, Tanith was taking me back to Mr. Bliss's classroom to help me train. Hopefully this will keep my mind off of things.

My gaze followed the curve of the bags under my eyes. I had gotten awful sleep lately, nightmares ransacking my subconscious mind. Any time Tanith asked why I'd be acting weird in my sleep, and I denied everything. I honestly wasn't that worried about it, so I didn't see the point of letting her know.

She finished up the braid, patting me on the head. "Shall we go?" I nodded, and we made our way out.

"Are Skulduggery and Ghastly meeting us down there?" I asked, shifting out of the way to avoid hitting a Cleaver.

"Yeah, but they're going to talk to some Sanctuary officials first."

"Really? Why?" Tanith shrugged, avoiding my eyes. I sighed. They had all been acting funny the past couple of days, seeming like they're hiding something from me. Ghastly looked especially sad, and they all told me there was nothing to worry about.

We made it to the training room, fighting back and forth before Tanith ran up onto the ceiling and sat. I stared up at her, frowning as her laughter floated down toward me.

"That is so not fair!" I shouted, crossing my arms.

"There are no rules of fighting." Skulduggery said, walking in. I rolled my eyes, remembering Mr. Bliss's words. Ghastly followed behind him, raising an eyebrow at Tanith. I raised my hands above my head, shoving at the air, displacing it by her legs. She flipped down, landing on her feet.

"Benefits of being an Adept." She boasted, grinning at me. I smiled back, my hands twitching. Her nose twitched at the droplet of water that dripped off of it, and suddenly her entire body was drenched, her hair falling down in front of her face.

"Benefits of being an elemental!" I laughed, smirking at her. She smacked me, and glared at Skulduggery and Ghastly, insisting they fix it. Skulduggery shook his head, refusing to get involved, and Ghastly graciously fixed it.

"So what are we going to do for the rest of break?" Ghastly asked, crossing his arms.

"Well, I think I'm going to go visit my parents next week." I said. "I was actually wondering if you could take me, Tanith."

"Nonsense. That is too far of a drive to go on a motorbike, I'll take you." Skulduggery interjected. "I've been meaning to visit Gordon anyway."

"You know Gordon?"

"Did I not tell you? Strange. Yes, Gordon and I are actually quite close to each other." I blinked, and then shrugged.

"Alright, that's fine with me. " Skulduggery nodded.

"Excellent. When do you want to leave?"

"Early Saturday, if that's fine with you."

"It's perfect."

"_They've increased security around the school, Nefarian. There is no way you're going to be able to get in now." The man said, crossing his arms. _

"_There has got to be some other way to get to the girl, then. It was not my intention to start a war just yet." Nefarian spoke, glancing between him and Sanguine. _

"_If you attack now, there will be." Sanguine said, scratching his thigh. _

"_There is another way, however." Nefarian's eyes shot up to the man. _

"_How?" He was silent for a moment, his gaze hardening. _

"_I was told that the skeleton and this Valkyrie girl are leaving for her parent's tomorrow. No Cleavers. No idea that they're being watched." _

_Nefarian grinned, turning to Billy-Ray Sanguine. "You are to follow them, and once the girl is alone, you are to take her and bring her to me. _Alive._" Sanguines face fell for a moment before nodding. _

"_Can do, boss." _

"You are such a pain in the ass." I grumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I had woken up to Skulduggery's head resting on my chest, which quickly turned into me throwing it across the room where it promptly smacked Tanith in the face. She was currently in the bathroom, muttering about how bad she was going to kill him, a towel that had the dissolved rock that got rid of bruises pressed against her cheek. Skulduggery had gotten a kick out of it, but the glares that came from both of us quickly changed his laughter to coughs.

"You said you wanted up early." Skulduggery said, shrugging his bony shoulders.

"That means I want up early. Not 'I want a skull on top of me when I wake up.'" I stared daggers at him, shoving a few changes of clothes into the backpack I had bought with Tanith the other day. "Now get out so I can change clothes. I'll meet you at the car." He chuckled, softly closing the door as he made his way out.

I quickly changed, pulling my hair into a pony tail and lacing my boots. Tanith hugged me goodbye, the ugly bruise that had quickly formed on her cheekbone was now gone.

I met Skulduggery down at the Bentley, and we were on the hour and a half drive back home. I hadn't seen my parents since I moved here, and have only spoken to them on the phone a few times.

"So are you going to stay at Gordon's while we're there?" I asked, resting my head against the seat.

"I might. I do have my own home, you know. Though it is being taken care of, sometimes it's nice to be alone for a little while."

"Do you not have any family?" I looked at him, fiddling with my mobile.

"My family has long since passed, Valkyrie. "

"Oh," I said, feeling extremely awkward. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you didn't turn me into a living skeleton."

We rode in silence for the rest of the way, only speaking so I could give Skulduggery directions to my parents' house. We pulled up beside the house, and Skulduggery turned to me.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" I nodded, reaching back to grab my pack.

"I'll see you." I said, waving goodbye.

I knocked on the door, throwing my backpack onto my shoulders. I heard the Bentley drive off just as my dad opened the door.

"Stephanie!" My dad exclaimed, calling me by my given name. I grinned at him, reaching up to hug him.

"Surprise! I hope you don't mind if I stay for a few days."

"Of course not. Welcome home, baby."

"Where's mom?" I asked, setting my bag down by the couch.

"She's at Gordons. He wanted to catch up with her." I smiled at the thought of how mom was going to react to Skulduggery. "How's school? How did you get here?"

"School is great, actually. I'm super glad you guys decided to take me. One of my friends drove me here. He said he knew Gordon and wanted to catch up."

"Oh that's nice. Wait, _he_? A boy?" Dad paused, looking at me suspiciously. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, dad, a boy. You have nothing to worry about."

He nodded, satisfied. "Good, good. So you're enjoying school?"

"Mhmm," I said, digging through the pantry for something to eat.

"And the teachers?"

"The teachers are nice. Mostly. Some of them make me feel like I haven't left my old school." I rolled my eyes again, grabbing some cookies.

"Do you put them in their place like your other ones?"

"Of course."

"That's my girl." I grinned, leaning against the counter. "So you like it there? You want to stay?"

"Yeah, I feel a lot more comfortable there."

"Well, I can't say I didn't wish you chose life without magic, but I'm glad you're happy. Just don't get hurt, okay? I've seen firsthand how it affects Gordon."

"Dad, I'll be fine. Gordon goes looking for trouble." I said.

"You're more like Gordon than I think you realize, honey."

We talked for a few more minutes before a knock on the door startled us both. Dad looked at me, and I shrugged.

I shoved the cookies back into the pantry as dad opened the door.

"Hello?" I heard him ask.

"Hello. Valkyrie Cain wouldn't happen to be here, now would she?" I heard a man say, his voice thick with a southern accent.

"Why do you ask?" My dad's voice was hard. My brow furrowed, and I hid behind the wall, peaking out at my dad's back.

"I'd just like to have a few words with her, that's all."

"She's not here. Why don't you come back sometime later, it's not a good time."

"Somehow I don't believe you." The southerner said, his voice becoming threatening.

"Dad? Who is it?" I asked, stepping out.

"Stephanie, go upstairs." He said, his knuckles white against the door frame. The man peaked around my father, a smile spreading across his face. He had dark sunglasses on, a hat perched on top if his head.

"So you're the girl causing all of this ruckus. My name is Billy-Ray Sanguine. Why don't you take a step outside and have a talk with me."

"What are you talking about?" I said, reaching for my mobile. He made a clucking noise with his tongue.

"No, no, no…" He shoved my dad backwards, causing him to stumble into me. He cursed, righting himself. "I just want to talk, girlie."

I narrowed my eyes. "Somehow I don't believe you." Sanguine chuckled, leaning against the door frame.

"I don't want to hurt you… Your father however is just an innocent bystander that got caught in the crossfire." My dad pushed me behind him.

"You're not going to touch her."

"And you're not going to get in my way." Sanguine stepped forward and I dragged my dad backwards.

"Dad, go. I'll be fine." I said, locking eyes with Sanguine.

"Stephanie, no! I'm not going to leave you!"

"I can take care of myself, daddy. Go to mom. Tell her I love her." I glanced at him, watching realization pass across his features. "If you let my dad go, I'll listen to whatever you have to say." I watched as Sanguine stepped away from the door, holding his arms out. Dad hesitated for a moment before twisting around and hugging me before he bolted for the door. Before he even made it to the car, Sanguine shut the door and locked it, advancing towards me.

I backed away slowly, frowning. "What do you want?"

"It's not what _I _want; it's what my master wants. Which is for you to come with me quietly."

"Who is your master?"

"That's not of importance." He said. "You can find out in a few short minutes, all I need you to do is go out your back door and step your pretty little self outside."

"No. You aren't taking me anywhere until you tell me what is going on."

"Listen, kid—"

"Don't call me kid."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Don't tell _me_-" I stopped short as Sanguine lunged for me. I turned and ran, trying to make it up the stairs. I felt his hand on my shoulder, yanking me back. I spun around and punched him, his sunglasses flying off of his face and skidding across the tile. I blanched when I saw that he only had small black holes where his eyes should have been. His eyebrows were scrunched up, and he frowned at me.

"Those were my favorite glasses, you little brat." I saw him shift, and before I could do anything I felt his knee slam into my stomach, pushing all of the air out of my lungs. I gagged, stumbling. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a straight razor. "He wanted you alive and unharmed to save all of the torture part for him, but it looks like he's going to be disappointed."

Getting my breath back, I waited for him to get closer before I kicked out, my boot cracking into his wrist. He howled, the razor blade dropping from his hand.

"Oh, damnit."

I bolted up the stairs, sliding quietly into my bedroom closet. I heard him bustling downstairs, searching for his straight razor. I twisted the lock on the door knob, shutting the door carefully. I could hear Sanguine cursing, and glass breaking. I dug my phone out of my pocket, shoving it up to my ear.

"C'mon, c'mon, pick up!" I whispered. My hand was shaking with adrenaline, and I felt sweat drip off my forehead.

"Valkyrie! What's up?" Skulduggery answered, laughter in his voice. I heard my mothers and Gordons voice in the background.

"Skulduggery! I need help! Someone is here trying to- to kidnap me."

"What? Who?" The joy drained out of his voice, and I heard my mom ask what the matter was.

"Some man named Sanguine. Just hurry! Please! Leave mom there, my dad is on his—" The door burst open and I screamed, dropping my phone. I heard Skulduggery calling my name through the ear piece.

"I don't think so." Sanguine growled, grabbing my hair. He yanked me up, dangling me by my pony tail in the air. I groaned, kicking my feet, trying to get free. He threw me, and I slammed into the wall. My head cracked against the window sill, my vision going black. My body shuddered as I tried to stay conscious, vaguely registering Sanguine speaking on my phone. He dropped it, his foot crushing the screen. I watched the light flicker then go black. Sanguine grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me eye level with him.

"You're starting to become a real bother, you know that? I should just kill you right here."

"But you can't, can you?" I choked, clawing at his hands with my fingernails. He shoved me against the wall, and I cried out in pain. His hands moved up to my throat, squeezing.

"Boss won't be happy, but I'm willing to deal with him later." He snarled, squeezing tighter. Blood pounded in my ears. I moved one hand away, snapping my fingers. A small flame formed in the middle of my palm, and I shoved it against Sanguines face. He yelped, dropping me to the floor. He fell backwards as I slammed down on my knees, quickly crawling away. I threw myself down the stairs, sliding into the kitchen. I grabbed a knife from the drawer, brandishing it as Sanguine ran in after me. He held his straight razor, and didn't pause for a second when he saw me.

My mind flashed back to the first time Skulduggery and I had trained together. I splayed one hand out, and Sanguine slipped on the water that pooled by his feet, giving me time to push my palm out, causing him to go flying backward. I ran out the back door, running across the yard in the direction of Gordons estate. I heard Sanguine yell behind me.

"Big mistake, little girl!" And when I spun to find him, he had disappeared. I took off running again, turning to get on the street. I glanced behind my shoulder and suddenly tripped, catching myself on the pavement, the rocks cutting at my palms. I felt a rumble and Sanguine shot up in front of me out of the ground. He reached down, grabbing my hair in his fist again. Managing to pick the knife up off the ground, I swiped at him, slicing it across his forehead. He cursed, and slammed my face into the concrete. I heard a crack, and screamed in pain.

One of my neighbors heard the commotion and walked out, gaping at the sight.

"I'd go back inside if I were you." Sanguine said, yanking me back up. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I felt blood running down my face. He threw me onto my side, kicking me in the ribs. I winced and rolled onto the grass, getting up on my hands and knees. Sanguine stared down at me, smirking. "It's over, darlin'." He bent down, twisting me and pressing me against him. I felt his razor press into my throat, and my whimper of pain grew louder as it pressed harder, my skin separating, and I knew if he pulled it across my neck, I would be dead. Tears rolled down my face as I felt him start to slowly pull it across my skin, my legs bucking in pain.

Suddenly a gunshot sounded and Sanguine jerked backward, the straight razor gliding across my throat lightly, slicing a thin line. I stumbled forward, my hand shaking as I pressed it against my neck, trying to staunch the blood flow from where the blade had lacerated deep.

"Oh, damn it all!" Sanguine shouted, suddenly disappearing into the ground, gripping his shoulder.

I looked up in time to see Skulduggery run out of the Bentley. I barely registered the fact he had his façade on when my vision went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**I seriously wish I was one of those authors that were able to wait a week before updating but I can't! I'm always so excited to start on a new chapter, and since it's the summer and I don't have any plans or friends where I'm living currently, I have nothing better to do than update. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story. **

**SKULDUGGERY P.O.V.**

Skulduggery pealed out of the neighborhood, cursing. Everything had finally clicked. Sanguine was obviously working for Serpine; it explained why Valkyrie had been having the nightmares. Serpine wanted Valkyrie dead.

Gordon sat in the back with Valkyrie, trying to staunch the flow of blood that came from her throat. Skulduggery looked back and flinched, she was even paler than normal.

"Skulduggery, _who _the _hell_ was that?" Gordon asked, ripping off his coat and pressing the sleeve against her neck.

"His name is Billy-Ray Sanguine. He has got to be working with Serpine."

"Serpine? Are you sure?"

"It only makes sense. Valkyrie has been having nightmares about a man with a red hand. The Sanctuary officials that are stationed at the school have increased the number of Cleavers there," Skulduggery paused for a moment before continuing. " I believe that Serpine has Ghastlys mother, and she is using her psychic abilities to communicate to Valkyrie that she is in danger. There is no way all of this happening at the same time is a coincidence."

"You're the detective," Gordon said, looking down at his niece. Worry was written all over his face. Skulduggery pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing Ghastly.

"Hello?" Ghastly answered.

"Ghastly, I need you to call Kenspeckle now."

"What? Why? Why don't you call him?"

"He won't answer my calls, you know that. Valkyrie has been hurt. Bad. Sanguine tried to kidnap her."

"_Sanguine_? Why him?"

"He has to be working with Serpine. I'll tell you when we make it back to the school, call Kenspeckle and get him over there _now_!" Skulduggery hung up, swerving into a back road. Once they were far enough away from traffic, Skulduggery removed the façade. He hated the feeling of his heart pounding in his ribcage, the feeling that he couldn't breathe.

Skulduggery glanced back at Valkyrie multiple times. Ugly bruises had started to form under her eyes, blood trickling from just below the bridge of her nose.

_He broke her nose?_ Anger flared up inside of him again. _He's going to pay for doing this._

They made it to the academy in record time. Skulduggery spun the car to the front of the building, running out and carefully pulling Valkyrie out of the back, running into the building. He slowed down once he made it to the infirmary, passing the fill in Kenspeckle had while he was off campus.

Kenspeckle walked out of his work room, the scowl on his face disappearing when he saw Valkyries pale face, and Gordon's bloody hands.

"Get her in there." Kenspeckle ordered, pointing to the hospital beds that lined the wall. Skulduggery gently laid her on one of the cots, stepping back as Kenspeckle started to work. He slid her jacket off, handing it to Skulduggery.

"Out." The doctor said, turning to the two men that stood behind him.

"What?" Skulduggery said, bewildered.

"I cannot work with you two standing over my shoulder. _Out._" Skulduggery stared at him for a second before looking at Valkyrie. He reached out and softly touched her hair before turning on his heel and walking out, Gordon trailing behind him. They stood out in the hall, Skulduggery leaning against the wall with his hands shoved in his pockets as Gordon paced. Ghastly and Tanith walked in, worry written on their faces.

"Is she okay?" Tanith asked, and Skulduggery shook his head.

"We just got her to Kenspeckle. We'll know as soon as he knows." She nodded, and then looked over to Gordon.

"Hi, I'm Tanith. You are?"

"Oh, ah, I'm Gordon. Valkyries uncle. I'd shake your hand, but…" He held his palms up, dried blood crusting them. Taniths face twisted.

"There's a bathroom across the way from Kenspeckles office. Wash up." Gordon thanked her and left in the direction of the washroom.

"You want to explain what happened?" Ghastly said, crossing his arms. Skulduggery told them both everything. They stood for a moment in silence before he spoke up about his theory.

Tanith was the first to speak. "So you're saying that Serpine has Ghastlys mom, and Ghastlys mom told Serpine that Valkyrie was going to be the end of him, and Serpine sent Sanguine to kidnap or kill Valkyrie, all the while Valkyrie's nightmares are coming from Ghastly's mom warning her that Serpine is going to attack." She said slowly, and Skulduggery nodded.

"It's just like Serpine to do something like this." He said, taking his hat off and running his hand across the top of his skull.

Gordon walked back out; his hands clean of his niece's blood.

"Now that we can have a proper introduction…" He said, reaching out a hand to Tanith and then Ghastly. "I'm sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances."

"Valkyrie will be okay. Kenspeckle is good at what he does. She's in the right hands," Ghastly said. "Now, what do we do about Sanguine?" Skulduggery was about to reply when Kenspeckle came out, wiping his hands on a towel.

"She's going to be fine." He said, throwing the towel across his shoulder. "I don't want to hear how this happened. And I don't want to see her come in like this again." Skulduggery lowered his head in silence, a sharp pang running through him.

"Can we see her?" Tanith asked.

"Yes. She will not be awake for another few hours. I gave her a strong sedative, so she will sleep through the majority of the healing. Her nose is broken; she has extensive wounds on her neck, and bruising all over, but she will be just fine in a few days." At that, Skulduggery shoved past Kenspeckle, hesitating for a split second at the door before gently opening it.

Valkyrie was lying on her back, the blanket folded at her stomach. She was no longer pale, but the bruises beside her nose had gotten worse. He heard Tanith say something to Ghastly and Gordon, and the door quietly shut, leaving Skulduggery with Valkyrie.

She was breathing softly, the gently rise and fall of her chest was comforting to Skulduggery. If he had gotten there any later, she would have been dead. He felt something ugly twist inside of him, a mix of guilt and rage.

_She's alive._ He thought. _That's all that matters. She is alive and here. Here with me. I refuse to let her get hurt like that again. _His gaze trailed over the tape over her nose, and the multiple stitches that held her skin together on her throat. Kenspeckle was right, there were many deep bruises mottling her skin, but from the shiny glare her arms gave off, Skulduggery knew the doctor had put a serum on that would make the bruises disappear before she woke up.

Grabbing a chair, Skulduggery sat beside her, his mind flashing back to when he got her call.

_I pulled in front of Gordon's large estate, my head tilting at the extra car that sat in his driveway. _A girlfriend, perhaps? _I thought, reaching up to put on my façade. I walked up to the front door, knocking. Gordon answered, his eyes widening in delight. _

"_Skulduggery! Old friend. I haven't seen you in ages, please, come in!" He said, slapping me on the shoulder as I came in. A woman walked into the room, and Gordon introduced us. She was Valkyries mom. I gave her a smile, reaching out to shake her hand. _

_We talked for a few minutes, Gordon occasionally flirting with Valkyries mother, which she graciously ignored. I decided not to remove my façade, I knew that she knew about magic but I figured a surprise talking skeleton, no matter how impressive I am, would be a bit too much of a shock. _

_Gordon had just cracked another joke when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Looking at the caller I.d., I saw it was Valkyrie and smiled. _

"_Valkyrie! What's up?" I said, her mom glancing up at me. _

"_Skulduggery! I need help," She whispered, and I heard panting coming from the other side. "Someone is here trying to—to kidnap me!" The happiness fell out of my chest, and I froze._

"_What? Who?" This time Gordon looked at me, hearing the darkness in my voice. _

"_Skulduggery, what's the matter?" Valkyries mom asked, worry written all over her face. _

"_Some man named Sanguine. Just hurry! Please! Leave mom there, my dad is on his—" I heard a crash, and Valkyrie shrieked. A thump sounded through the phone, and I heard Sanguine's southern accent flow into the ear piece. _

"_Mrs. Edgley, you need to stay here. Gordon, come." I said, then called Valkyries name. I heard them fighting over the phone, and winced. I ran to the Bentley, and heard Gordon following close behind. I slammed on the gas, Gordon instructing me on the quickest way to Valkyries house. I sped, the minutes ticking by slowly. I swerved onto the street where her house was located, and what I saw caused the blood running through my veins to go cold. _

"_Oh, hell." Gordon said, his mouth falling open._

_Sanguine was on his knees, Valkyries back pressing into his chest. Her boots were kicking into the air, and I felt bile rise up in the back of my throat. _

_Sanguines straight razor was shoved against her neck. My foot slammed against the break, and threw myself of the car, yanking my gun out of my belt. I aimed and fired, the bullet imbedding itself into Sanguines shoulder. He jerked, Valkyrie falling loose from his grip. _

"_Oh, damn it all!" He cursed, the ground cracking beneath him. He disappeared, and I rushed over to Valkyrie just as her eyes closed. _She's just passed out, _I thought_. She's not dead. She's not dead. I will not let her die! _I scooped her into my arms, telling Gordon to get in the back. Setting her in the seat, Gordon cursed, and I drove in the direction of the academy. _

His thoughts snapped back to the present, and he debated for a few minutes with himself whether or not he wanted to use his façade and sleep for a few hours. Deciding against it, he laid his boney arms over one another and rested his forehead against them, his arm rubbing against Valkyries. Her warmth felt good to him, and every inch of his body wanted nothing more than to grab her and press her against him.

A thought skirted around the edge of Skulduggerys mind, and no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, it kept coming back. He finally let it in, his mind opening up, and a different feeling, something he hasn't felt in years, swelled up inside him.

_Do I… Do I love Valkyrie?_


	7. Chapter 7

**FABULOUS**

**I've actually been really unhappy with the chapters lately. I'm really sorry if they get boring or if they don't flow well. Filler chapters have to happen sometimes ahhhh. I'm also on an antidepressant and that will probably change to something new in the next two weeks, and the medicine makes me pretty slow and groggy the majority of the time, it makes it hard to process what I'm putting down. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story. Thank you for all of the reviews! Also, my intention is to get the characters as similar to the way they act in this story as they do in the book, so I hope that I'm doing a good job. Enjoy!**

I awoke suddenly, my mind groggy. My vision was out of focus for a moment when I opened my eyes, my eyelashes sticking painfully to each other briefly. I took a deep breath, glancing around, trying to get my bearings. My head turned and I flinched for a moment at the person sitting beside me, his head resting against the bed were I lay. I shifted to get a better look at who it was, and relaxed when I recognized that it was Skulduggery, using his façade to sleep. Smiling, I rested my head back on the pillow, sifting through my memories. The last thing I remembered was Skulduggery pulling me into his arms before I blacked out.

Sighing, I reached a hand up, tenderly pressing on the stitches on my neck. The wound didn't hurt, but from the haziness that remained in my head, I figured it was due to a pain reliever of sorts. Dim sunlight filtered through the closed blinds, and from the looks of it, it was either evening or very early in the morning.

"Ow._ Ow!_" I groaned, pushing myself up into a sitting position. Soreness shot through my back and neck, who knows how long I had been lying in the same position. I was suddenly filled with a sense of regret. My week with my parents, gone. Ruined because someone wanted me for some sick reason.

_I didn't even get to see mom…_

Suddenly Skulduggery shifted, his head lifting up off the bed.

"Morning, sunshine." _Assuming it is morning…_

"Valkyrie! You're awake!" He exclaimed, a grin spreading across his cheeks, revealing the pearly white teeth I'm so used to seeing.

"That I am," I said, watching as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked up at me with those striking green eyes of his. "What happened?"

"Do you not remember?"

"I remember up to you shooting Sanguine, and then I blacked out." My face twisted. I had never passed out before, it was embarrassing.

"Well, Gordon and I rescued you, you bled all over the backseat of my car, and Kenspeckle fixed you up." I chewed on my lip for a few moments before responding.

"How bad was I?"

"You've got a few bruises, a broken nose and that nasty gash on your throat." I brought my hand up to my nose. Two pieces of tape covered it, but it only felt a little tender. "Kenspeckle did a good job mending you up. You've been asleep for a while, so you missed the worse." He hesitated, and then shut his mouth. I looked at him, my brow furrowing.

"What?"

"What?"

"You started to say something. What is it?"

"I don't have anything to say." I saw his eyes flicker and frowned.

"Yes you do. Tell me."

"Valkyrie, I have nothing to say."

"You're a terrible liar. Tell me." Skulduggery lowered his head, running a hand through his hair.

"That scar on your neck isn't going away." He said. I shrugged, not understanding him.

"Kenspeckle can fix it. It's no big deal."

"No, I mean it isn't going away. Ever. Sanguine cut you with his straight razor. Those scars never heal." I stared at him for a few seconds before dropping my head roughly down on the pillow, staring at the ceiling.

"Ever?"

"Ever. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. At least he didn't get your face."

"He broke my nose." I glared at him, scowling.

"Ah, but that will heal."

"But this won't." I complained, jabbing a finger toward the cut.

"Valkyrie, you could have died. You should be happy you came out with only a scar." Glowering, I traced the cut with my fingertips. Skulduggery reached over and pulled my hand away, holding it. His other hand patted my skin, his fingers warm against mine. "All that matters right now is that you're alive."

"And getting revenge on Sanguine," I muttered. Skulduggery nodded. "Do you have any idea why he wanted me?"

He paused, then took a deep breath. "I think it has to do with your nightmares."

"My—What?"

"Your nightmares. Tanith told me about them. She was worried, heard you talking in your sleep about a man with a red hand." I looked at him, slowly nodding. It came as a shock, Tanith had asked about the nightmares a few times but I figured she had forgotten about them or blew them off.

"What about them?" Skulduggery looked flustered for a moment, like he didn't know where to start.

"Well, have you ever seen him before?" I shook my head. "A man with a red hand exists, Valkyrie. His name is Nefarian Serpine, and he is a very bad man."

"Serpine… I remember Tanith mentioning something about him."

"At first I didn't understand exactly how you would be having dreams of someone you have never even seen before. Then I remembered that psychics, when someone they have had a prophesy about is in danger, can communicate to them through their dreams."

"So… you're saying that a psychic is telling me I am in danger of this guy named Serpine."

"Yes. And I believe that Serpine has a psychic in his possession, and I believe that psychic is Ghastlys mother."

"_Ghastlys mother?_ He never talked about her… I just assumed she was dead."

"If what I'm thinking is correct; which it usually is, Ghastlys missing dear mother is very much alive and is in the unfortunate grubby hands of Serpine. Now, why Serpine wants you, I don't know. Serpine's actions are always out of pure greed; whatever he does is for him and no one else."

"Whenever Sanguine was trying to kidnap me, he said that Serpine wanted me alive and unharmed." I said, trying to take everything in.

"Sanguine obviously failed at the unharmed part…"

"And the kidnapping part."

"Yes, that too."

"So that means Serpine wants me alive, but for what reason?"

"I don't know. Something evil and selfish, probably." Skulduggery said, scratching at his eyebrow.

"What do we do now?" I asked, lifting up and crossing my legs, setting my elbows on my knees. All of this was so confusing. Why does Serpine want me? Everything, yet nothing made sense.

"We find Sanguine, figure out what Serpine wants with you, you get to punch him in the face, then we throw him in Sanctuary jail."

"That sounds easier said than done."

"Oh, it is."

Suddenly Kenspeckle walked in, giving Skulduggery a strange look before glancing at me. I grinned at the doctor, and he gave me a gentle smile back. Kenspeckle was always grumpy toward Skulduggery, but the skeleton took it with grace, finding that if someone didn't like him it was obviously a flaw in their character, or a mental illness.

"Valkyrie! Glad to see you up. Skulduggery didn't wake you up, did he?"

"Quite the contrary." Skulduggery said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms as Kenspeckle walked over. He pulled the blanket off of my legs, and I was happy to realize that the hospital gown I was in was more like a long nightshirt than a piece of fabric that showed my bum. This one at least came down a few inches over my thigh.

I saw Skulduggerys eyes flicker over my legs, and I felt a faint blush spread across my cheeks. Kenspeckle was observing the faint bruises that remained on my skin, applying a salve on the worse ones. He walked closer and gently lifted the tape off my nose, feeling carefully.

"This healed nicely. You won't ever be able to tell that you had a broken nose." Kenspeckle said, satisfied. "Your neck on the other hand…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I said, scowling. The doctor gently lifted my chin up, checking the cut.

"You're a strong girl, Miss Cain. I give this another thirty minutes and you're going to be good as new." He said, patting me on the shoulder. As Kenspeckle left, I pulled the blanket back over my legs, a cold chill going over my body. We sat in silence for a few minutes, and I played with a few strands of my hair, glancing over at Skulduggery.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, nothing." He spoke, glancing up at me.

"Manly things?" This pulled a laugh from him.

"All sorts of them."

Kenspeckle came back in half an hour later, checking my nose and neck one more time before sending me off. Thankfully my clothes had been cleaned, forming to my body like they had been molded from it. It turned out to be morning, and Tanith had just woken up when I made it up to the dorm. My body was still sore, but I wasn't in terrible pain.

By the time it was lunch time, I had showered and slid on a pair of sweatpants and a tanktop, not particularly wanting to wear actual pants.

I padded down to the bottom floor of the dorm building, grabbing a banana and sitting at an empty table. The second I took a bite, my appetite disappeared, and I had to force it down. My mind drifted back to the previous day, flipping through the memories. I remembered everything that Skulduggery told me, from Serpine to the scar on my throat. Sighing, my gaze focused on a poster that was placed on the wall. It had a calendar on it, with Sunday, the last day of break, circled in red. My eyebrows raised, it was advertising the school dance.

_A magic school has dances? I would have never guessed… Seems like such a mortal thing to do._ Suddenly my line of site with the poster was interrupted. Fletcher suddenly appeared in front of me, and I inwardly groaned. After the first experience with the teleporter, I tried my best to stay away from him but he always found some way to bug me.

"Ah, Valkyrie!" He said, acting surprised. He sat down In front of me, his eyes flickering down to the scar on my neck, then back up. "I heard about your fight. So glad to see you alive!"

"Thanks, Fletcher." He smiled, then reached over and grabbed both my hands in his. I stared at him, confused.

"So, Valkyrie. I was wondering. You know, since I'm single, and _you're_ single… If you'd maybe want to go to the dance with me?" I continued to stare, dumbfounded. I had known about the dance for all of 10 seconds, and Fletcher was already making a move.

"Why don't you ask Tanith?" I said, watching as he blushed and became flustered.

"Well, I, uh. I already—I already did and she uh. She, ah, she punched me." Trying to keep from smiling at the mental image and being offended at being a second choice, I scrambled for an excuse not to go.

"I—I already have a date… Sorry Fletcher." I pulled my hands away from his, folding them in my lap. His brow furrowed.

"Who?" My mind went blank before Skulduggery walked in, back in his skeletal form. He headed over toward me, his head tilting at the sight of Fletcher.

"Skulduggery! Skulduggery is taking me." I said just as he came into earshot.

"I'm doing what now?" He said, sitting down beside me.

"Taking me do the dance this Sunday."

"I am?" My foot snuck out and smashed into his, and his leg jerked back.

"Yes. You are." I spoke through gritted teeth. Fletcher sighed, then disappeared. I looked around, finding him at the table of another group of girls. Shaking my head, I turned to Skulduggery.

"I'm taking you to the dance?" He said, reaching down and brushing dirt off of his shoe.

"No, I just needed an excuse to not go with Fletcher."

"Why didn't he ask Tanith?" Amusement snuck into his voice.

"He did. She punched him." He laughed.

"Excellent. So you're not going to the dance?"

"Of course not. Dances are _not_ my thing." I said, rubbing my eyes.

"I think you should go." Glancing at the skeleton, trying to read him, I asked why. "You could use a bit of fun after yesterday."

"Well, who am I supposed to go with?" I protested, not liking the idea of having to wear a dress.

"The most fascinating person in the room, of course."

"I can't go with myself, Skulduggery." He sighed, exasperated.

"I'll take you. You already told Fletcher so, so why not?"

I glared at him, resting my chin on my hand. "Because that would require me to wear a dress."

"I'm sure you will look fabulous, Valkyrie." He said, patting my shoulder.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I _know_ I will. I just don't want to wear a dress." I shrugged.

"You'll live. I'll have Ghastly and his father make something for us both." Before I could protest further, he got up and walked out, nodding to Tanith as she walked by. She gave me a funny look, sitting down in the spot Fletcher was in only a few minutes earlier.

"You look frustrated. What was that about?" She asked.

"Skulduggery is making me go to the dance. Fletcher asked me and I lied and said Skulduggery was going to take me, and it backfired." Tanith giggled.

"Yeah, Fletcher asked me, too. I hit him."

"So I heard. Are you going?"

"Actually, yeah. Ghastly asked me." She said, grinning. I smiled; she and Ghastly would make the cutest couple ever.

"Is he going to make you a dress, too?" Tanith nodded, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Well, this is going to be an interesting dance."

"Won't it? Not meaning to change the subject or anything, but did Skulduggery explain to you what is going on?"

"Yep. I think it's ridiculous."

"You'll be okay," She said. "Serpine is a threat, but it's nothing we can't handle. With a little bit more training, I daresay, you might be able to take him on yourself." I rolled my eyes.

"I wouldn't make a bet on that."

The rest of the day went on fairly normally. I insisted that we go down to Bliss's room and train for a while, but Tanith would only let me do things with the elements. Considering Tanith was an Adept, not an Elemental, we had Skulduggery come down, and he showed me a few things that would hopefully come in handy one day.

By the time nighttime came, I was worn out. I lay in bed, curling up into the warm sheets. I slowly drifted off into sleep, hoping for no nightmares to visit me tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is a terrible idea." I said, scowling at myself in the mirror.

"Oh stop complaining. It will be fun!" Taniths voice floated into the bathroom cheerfully.

It had been a week since my attempted kidnapping. All of my injuries had healed wonderfully; I was back to 100%. The only reminder of what happened was the permanent scar adorning my throat. I felt a little self-conscious about it, but Tanith insisted that it wasn't a big deal. I'd get over it eventually, I'm sure.

My parents had driven down to the academy to see me, thankfully. By the time they came, the stitches were out and the bruises were already gone. They were still horrified that I had gotten hurt, but that was to be expected. They also surprised me with a new cell phone, considering Sanguine had smashed mine to bits.

But today, I wasn't healing or fighting or running. Today I found myself in front of the mirror, my arms crossed, and a scowl so deep in my features I feared it would stay that way forever. It was Sunday afternoon, and the last day of break. Which meant it was dance night.

Tanith was already done getting ready. She had insisted on dressing me up for it, which included hair, nails, and make up. She had French tipped my nails, and right now I was sitting in my bra and underwear waiting for the torture to begin.

Tanith finally walked in, and I had to admit, she looked great. Her hair was curled nicely, framing her face. The dress Ghastly had made for her was gold, and even though she didn't have much of a tan, the color still looked perfect on her. It was strapless and went down mid-thigh, and it shimmered in the light.

She pushed my dress into my arms and instructed me to put it on. As I slipped it on, Tanith spin the chair around so it faced away from the mirror. She wanted my hair into a loose pony tail and got started on my make-up.

"So do you guys take the dance seriously, or are a bunch of the guys going to show up in jeans?" I asked, closing my eyes as Tanith attacked my face with a brush.

"This is the only dance we get all year, so everyone dresses up. It marks the day construction began on the school years ago."

"Do I _have_ to go?"

"Well it makes you look good to the teachers, but even if it didn't matter I would still drag you with me. Open your eyes." I did so, my eyelids feeling heavy and awkward. I wasn't used to having eye shadow on, and it felt weird. Tanith nodded to herself, brushing mascara on my lashes.

"Skulduggery and Ghastly don't have wear make-up, why should I?"

"Because you're a girl and society expects you to."

"Society can go screw itself." Tanith laughed, pulling my hair out of the pony tail. Brushing it down, she started to pull sections hair away from my face, brushing it and poofing it up a bit at the top of my head. She finished it off my pinning it with two sparkly clips on both sides. Stepping back, she motion for me to stand up and looked me up and down.

"And you're done." She grinned.

"Finally." I spun around, blinking at the person staring back.

My hair was pulled away from my face, shiny and straight. My already dark eyes looked even darker with the black smokey eye Tanith somehow put on me without making me look trashy.

What topped it all off was the dress. The top almost looked like a corset, and the skirt that flowed from my waist to just above my knees was the softest material I had ever felt. The majority of the dress was a deep blood red, with black accents running through the top. The sleeves were solid black and were about as thick as my hand. It was beautiful.

"Ghastly did a great job on the dress," I breathed, feeling the material.

"And I did a great job on your face. C'mon, the dance has already started." Tanith threw a pair of black kitten heels at me. I yanked them on, pulling the strap over my foot and running after Tanith.

****SKULDUGGERY P.O.V.****

"I don't know if the bow tie is really necessary, Ghastly." Skulduggery said, observing himself in the mirror. He had his façade on, and one again he was blown away with how well Ghastlys suits fit, and how impeccable he looked in them. The suit was black with deep red pinstripes. Skulduggery loved the suit, just not the bow tie.

"Everyone is going to have one on. You should too." The tailor responded. His suit was solid black with cold cuffs.

"Can't I wear a tie and do an elgridge knot or something? You're already making me go without my hat."

"You'll live, Skulduggery." The skeleton sighed.

"Are you ready?" Ghastly nodded just as Skulduggerys phone buzzed in his pocket. "Valkyrie says that they're down by the door and waiting for us." His phone buzzed again. "Oh, and to hurry or I'm going to have to investigate Fletchers sudden and mysterious death." Both men laughed and headed for the staircase.

A sensation stirred inside Skulduggery, one he was not used to feeling.

_I have… butterflies in my stomach?_ He thought, bewildered. _Why should I? It's not like we're going on a date or anything. We're just two friends, going to a dance together. That is all._ Skulduggery shrugged the feeling off, his usual air of confidence returning.

They made it down where Valkyrie and Tanith stood waiting by the exit doors. They were alone, laughing with each other. Before Skulduggery could appreciate how nice Tanith looked, Valkyrie turned around and smiled.

Skulduggery felt his breath catch at the sight of her. Her dress was dark red and midnight black, the colors striking against her pale skin. Her hair flowed over her shoulders, her dark eyes turned black from her make-up. The dress was tight against her body, and the 19 year old in Skulduggery made a mental note to thank Ghastly for that. A small part in his brain recognized the fact that Valkyries red dress matched the pin stripes running down his own suit.

"Hey!" Valkyrie said, her smile shiny from lip gloss.

"Valkyrie. You look lovely." He spoke, breathing an internal sigh of relief that his voice hadn't shook.

"Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself." Skulduggery smiled, holding his arm out to her. She linked her arm through his.

"Shall we go?"

"We shall."

The four of them walked to the main building, their light conversation floating through the dark night.

****20 minutes later, VALKYRIE P.O.V.****

Skulduggery and I stood close together, his hands resting on my hips, mine on his shoulders. Touching him like this, I could finally appreciate how tall he truly was.

"Are you having fun?" Skulduggery asked, a smile playing on the edge of his lips.

"I am!" I said, grinning. "All we've done is slow dance, so I haven't had to embarrass myself."

"Is that so?" He said as the slow tune faded out. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm a terrible dancer." I tried to move out of the way of the other dancers as a fast paced song started playing, but I couldn't move. Skulduggerys arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me close to him as his other hand caught mine.

"I'm not." He smirked, and I stared at him, horrified. The music picked up even more, and Skulduggery started leading, pulling me along with his dance. I started laughing, giggling every time he spun or dipped me, his movements smooth and graceful. The song faded away, and I felt my cheeks flush from laughing and how close Skulduggery was pressed against me.

His eyes were bright with excitement, and his smile looked like it was about to split his face in half. Our eyes met, and his grin slowly slid off, his lips just barely parted. I froze, nervousness shooting through me.

_What is he doing? What's going on? Is he going to kiss me? Do I _want _him to kiss me? _I started to panic. I had only kissed one guy before, and that was in fifth grade!

Skulduggery slowly leaned toward me, his lips inches away. My hand flew to his chest, stopping him.

"Skulduggery, I…" I trailed off, and was suddenly thrown off my feet, smashing into the wall. I felt myself losing consciousness, but the sounds of screaming jerked me back to reality. Looking around, I saw Skulduggery beside me, unconscious. I reached over and shook him, and when that didn't work I conjured up water and splashed it on his face. His eyelids fluttered open, widening in surprise.

Hollow Men, bloated ugly creatures, rushed into the room. My blood went cold at what I saw. Following behind the Hollow Men, with Billy-Ray Sanguine right beside him, was the man from my nightmares.

Serpine.

"Valkyrie, hide your face." Skulduggery said over the shouting.

"What?"

"_Hide your face_ before he sees you!" I nodded, ripping the hair clips out and pushing my hair over my face. Grabbing my hand, he led me into the crowd that formed in front of the massive hole in the wall that now existed. He dipped his hand in his pocket, and I heard Serpine yelling over the noise.

"Here's your phone." Skulduggery shoved it in my hands. "Find Tanith, get upstairs, change, and get out of here." I ducked through the crowd, finding Tanith and yanking her with me. Suddenly the front doors to the school burst open, and Cleavers swarmed inside, poised and ready for command. We ran past them, unnoticed.

"What the hell is going on?" Tanith asked as I yanked my shoes off.

"Serpine is here for me." I took off running toward the dorms, Tanith close behind. We threw ourselves up the stairs and into the room, ripping our dresses off.

"What are we going to do?" Tanith said, shoving her legs into her trousers.

"Skulduggery told me to run." I replied as I pushed my hair into a tight pony tail.

"Are you going to?"

"Hell no." I had just finished sliding my coat on when Sanguine burst into the room from below.

"Ah, there you are. I've been lookin' all over for you." His eyes shifted to Tanith. "Hey there, pretty lady." She grabbed her sword and lunged for him. Sanguine sunk into the floor and appeared back by the window.

"Valkyrie, go help Skulduggery." I stared at her as a sickly smile spread across Sanguines lips. "Go. I can handle him."

"Okay." I touched her shoulder then backed out of the room, my eyes locked on Sanguine.

"Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough." Tanith walked toward the Texan. He laughed.

"Let's dance."

I ran as fast as I could toward the school, a light drizzle hitting my face. I crouched low, sneaking into the room, trying to see Serpine. It was quiet, and everyone looked ready to start fighting. Mr. Bliss stood next to Skulduggery and Ghastly, Cleavers flanking their sides. Serpine was smiling, his hand glistening in the light.

"You need to leave, Serpine." Mr. Bliss said, and the cold tone in his voice sent shivers through my body.

"Not until I have the girl." Serpine replied, flexing his hand.

"She's not here. It is a school night, you know. She decided to stay in, catch up on some sleep." Skulduggery quipped, his façade gone.

"You're lying. I can feel the Ancient blood in her veins." I froze, ducking down further. _Ancient blood? What is he talking about?_ Skulduggerys head tilted. "She's in this very room."

"That girl never does one damn thing she is told." I heard Skulduggery mutter. Serpine glanced down, cracks forming by his feet. Sanguine shot up, cursing, Tanith clinging to his back. He threw her off him, and she slammed into a Cleaver.

"Sorry, boss." Sanguine said, his face bleeding. He was holding the shoulder that Skulduggery had shot the week before, flinching.

"Find her." Serpine glared, and Sanguine disappeared once more. I looked down at my feet, trying to watch for cracks in the floor. I got behind a pillar, and stood up, slowly backing away. I felt a rumble, and someone's chest pressed into my back. I yelped, and was suddenly dragged down into the floor. Seconds later we shot back up beside Serpine, and I spat dirt out of my mouth. Sanguines straight razor was once again pressed against my throat, and I grimaced. Serpine turned and smiled at me, his grin ugly and cruel.

"Oh damn it." Skulduggery cursed, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at Serpines head.

"You pull that trigger, and Sanguines knife will have sliced her throat in half faster than you can change targets." Serpine said, walking forward a few feet. Sanguines breath was hot in my ear, and I felt my legs quivering. We were surrounded by Hollow Men, which greatly outnumbered the Cleavers that had come in. Skulduggery paused for a moment before lowering his gun, obviously trying to figure out how to get me free.

"Let her go, Serpine." Skulduggery spoke.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr. Pleasant. All I'm going to do is take her, and be out of your hair for good. Metaphorically speaking. "

"And I'm afraid _I _can't do that, Serpine. Let her go." Serpine clucked his tongue.

"Manners, manners. Sanguine, take her away."

"No!" Skulduggery roared, running for me. Suddenly it was black again, and the earth rumbled around us.


	9. Chapter 9

**Wooooooooooooooo writers block. Review and enjoy!**

Sanguine stood, leaning against the door. He was chewing on a toothpick, and his sunglasses were perched on the top of his head. His arms were crossed, and he observed me with a sickening fascination.

"I don't understand how _you _are the one that boss thinks is gonna be the end of him," He said, raising one of his eyebrows. "But the psychic said so, and she hasn't been wrong since yet."

"Who, the psychic that you kidnapped just like me?" My face twisted in anger.

"Ah, you figured that out, huh? Yeah we took the ugly fellers mom. What of it?"

"You're scum." Sanguine laughed, pushing himself off the wall and leaning down to where I was shackled against a chair.

"And you're going to die." He said, and I spat in his face. He growled, grabbing my hair and yanking my head back. "You're pushing your luck, little girl." I grunted in pain as Serpine walked in, ordering Sanguine to let me go. He shoved himself up and walked out of the room, slamming the door on his way out. Serpine walked back and forth across the room, and I noticed he had a glove over his red hand.

"You're the girl that is supposed to be my demise." He spoke, stopping in front of me.

"Apparently." I said, watching him closely.

"Don't worry, Miss Cain. I'm not going to kill you just yet. Skulduggery and I have a few scores that we have to settle, and no doubt he's going to come for you. He cares about you, I could tell the way he ran for you. It's pitiful." I kept my face blank, my eyes following him as he started pacing again.

"How did you find out where I lived?"

"My associate followed you when you left the school." I froze, and a thought flittered through my mind.

"How did you get to the school without the Cleavers being notified?" I spoke slowly, horror filling my veins.

"I have my ways." He said, pulling at the fingers of his glove, slowly peeling it off. I felt sweat slide down the side of my face, despite the fact I had goose bumps on my arms from how cold it was. Serpine walked toward me, taking his time. If he was trying to intimidate me, it was working.

"You should just let me go," I tried to keep my voice even. "Do that and I'll leave you alone. Hell, I'll even convince Skulduggery that you're not a bad guy." Serpine laughed.

"So he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Why exactly he is a skeleton, and why he hates me like he does. See, Valkyrie, many years ago, there was war. And I forced him to watch as I killed his parents. And then, I killed him. How he came back as a skeleton, that is still a mystery to me. But, no matter. It won't take him long to figure out where I have hidden you. He will come, and I will force him to watch me kill you, just as I did with his family." Before I could respond, he held his hand out, pointed toward me.

And suddenly, all I felt was pain.

****SKULDUGGERY POV****

Skulduggery stood against the wall, silent and still. Despite the fact that someone could have mistaken him for a mannequin, his mind was racing, trying to figure out how to get Valkyrie back. Serpine left without a fight, and Skulduggery had an anger building up inside of him since Valkyrie had been missing. It had been two days; he had no idea if Valkyrie was alive.

"Skulduggery?" The skeleton lifted his head to look at Ghastly. "You've been quiet."

"I'm trying to think of where Serpine might have taken her." He responded.

"We're going to get her back, Skul. Alive." Skulduggery nodded, watching as Ghastlys father walked into the room.

"I think I might know something that would help you." He said, glancing between the two men. "There are old caves about a mile off from the main road out of the school. Do you think this Serpine fellow might have taken her there?"

"It's possible." Skulduggery said, a hope forming in his chest. "I'm still curious as to how he was able to get on campus without being caught by Cleavers. He has to have someone that's inside the school. But who?"

"No one comes to mind." Ghastly spoke, crossing his arms. His father sighed.

"Well if you boys figure anything out, let me know." He left the room, leaving Ghastly and Skulduggery alone once more.

"Are you going to notify the Cleavers?" Ghastly asked. Skulduggery shook his head.

"Serpine will notice. We have to get her back without him knowing we were there. I have a feeling he wants something more than to kill Valkyrie. I know Serpine is sadistic; otherwise he would have had Sanguine kill her at her parents' house, or killed her during the dance. We need Finbar."

"What? Why?"

"He's a Sensitive. We take him to the caves, he goes into a trace, we have him draw the layout of the caves and give us Valkyries location. Then we get Fletcher to teleport there, hopefully not into a wall, and teleport her out." Ghastly took the skeletons plan in.

"Alright. When are we going to pull this off?"

"Right now."

A few hours later, Finbar Wrong strolled into the school building, looking half asleep. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his facial piercings glinting in the light. Skulduggery walked to meet him, and the Sensitive grinned.

"Skul-man! It's good to see you again!"

"Hello, Finbar. Please don't forget why you're here."

"Nah, man. I haven't. We can get started whenever." Finbar drawled, stretching his arms.

"Good. Follow me." They made the short walk to the edge of the school campus, along the side of the road that led out. Fletcher stood with Ghastly at the start of the forest. "Have you located the area where the supposed caves are at?"

"Yeah, and there's a bunch of those bloated freaky things standing outside of it." Fletcher said, shivering against the cold.

"They won't be an issue." Skulduggery said, becoming impatient. He wanted Valkyrie back. He needed Valkyrie back. "Can you teleport us all at the same time?"

"I can take two of you and come back for the last." Fletcher grabbed Ghastly and Finbar, and Skulduggery was alone. His mind flashed back to Sunday, remembering the way he and Valkyrie stood together, their bodies pressed tight. He remembered her beautiful laughter, the way her eyes shown when he spun her.

And then he tried to kiss her.

He didn't know what came over him. Emotions were swarming inside of him; he was entrapped by how gorgeous she looked, and how warm she made him feel inside. And he screwed it all up.

Fletcher appeared in front of him, reaching out to Skulduggery. Suddenly there was a rush of air, and the two men appeared in a group of trees.

"Are we near the caves?" Skulduggery asked, looking around at the forest surrounding them.

"As near as I'm comfortable getting. Are you gonna be able to do your thing from here?" Fletcher looked at Finbar.

"Yeah, hair dude. This is perfect. I can do this. So you just want me to describe the cave place for you?"

"Yes." Skulduggery started feeling flutters inside of him. If this was the right place, they were going to get Valkyrie back.

"Okay, Skul-man. I'll get started." Finbar sat down on the forest floor, crossing his legs. He began to hum and mutter, slowly getting into the trance he needed.

"Whoa, I'm flying man. Yeah, okay, I'm by the caves. Jesus, those paper things are freaky. I'm going in. There's… There's a bunch of rooms. Just, like, hallways. Hallways with a bunch of openings."

"Are there anyone in the rooms?"

"Nah man. There's one with a door, though. Do you want me to go in?"

"Yes. Go in the room and tell me what you see." Finbar paused for a moment, his face going pale. He pressed his lips shut tight, and his eyelids scrunched.

"Oh…" He whispered, causing Skulduggery to go cold. Ghastly shot a look at Skulduggery, fear in his eyes.

"Finbar? What is it?" The skeleton said urgently.

"That… That Serpine guy you told me about. He's there."

"And who else? Is Valkyrie there?" Ghastly said, walking in front of Finbar.

"Dark hair, black clothes? "

"Yes. Yes, Finbar. Is she there?" Skulduggery knelt down in the grass by Finbar, his fingers curled into fists.

"Skul-man…" Finbar twitched, then reached both of his hands out and grabbed Skulduggerys shoulders. He jerked, but Finbars grip was tight. His eyes flew open, and Skulduggery was seeing what Finbar saw.

Valkyrie lay on the floor. There was a chair sitting by her, the chains on it undone. Her wrists were bleeding, no doubt from pulling on them. Serpine stood in front of her walking around her body. He kicked, and she fell on her back, her hair spilling off of her face. A few strands stuck to the sheen of sweat that glistened across her forehead. A small trickle of blood had come from her nose, and there were black streak marks down her cheeks and the side of her temples from her make-up and tears.

Serpine reached a hand out, and Valkyries still body jerked. Her back arched up, her fingers clawing at the ground. Her mouth opened, and she screamed, a scream that Skulduggery felt deep inside of his bone marrow. It was a scream of pure agony, pain, suffering. Skulduggery once felt that pain before. Serpine laughed, and released his hold on her. She dropped back down to the floor with a soft _thump_, and Serpine left.

Skulduggery was suddenly pulled back from the room, and he found himself in front of Finbar once more. Finbar removed his hands from the bony shoulders of the skeleton, and the four of them were quiet for a moment.

"Finbar, explain to Fletcher where to get Valkyrie. He needs to get her soon before Serpine returns." Skulduggery was the first to speak, his voice eerily calm. He stood up, brushing the dirt off of his suit. Ghastly motioned for him to follow him, and they walked out of earshot as Finbar started instructing the teleporter.

"Are you okay?" Ghastly said, looking at Skulduggery in concern.

"I'm fine. Valkyrie is alive, that is all that matters." Ghastly was about to respond when Fletcher appeared, letting them know he was ready to go. He transported them back to where Finbar was waiting, humming to himself.

"Do you want me to take her to the school or here?"

"The school," said Skulduggery. "Once you get her to Kenspeckle, come back and get us.

"That's a lot of transporting, dude. And I have to carry two of you at once." Fletcher ran his hand through his hair, frowning.

"Just worry about Valkyrie. You can get us as close to the school as possible, _after_ you get Valkyrie there." Fletcher nodded and shut his eyes in concentration. He let out a deep sigh, and disappeared with a soft _pop_.

"What do we do now, Skulduggs?" Finbar yawned, scratching his back.

"Now we wait for Fletcher to return and take us back." He said, leaning against a tree.

"What are we going to do about Serpine?" Ghastly interjected. Skulduggery thought for a moment.

"He will come back for Valkyrie. No doubt. It's going to come as a shock when he finds out she is gone, and he will be angry. And we will be prepared."

"Do you think he is doing this to get a rise out of you?"

"I think that is just a bonus. He knows that if he kills Valkyrie I will come after him."

"Because you care about her." Ghastly said slowly.

"Yes."

"No, Skulduggery. I mean _care_ about her." Skulduggerys head shifted toward Ghastly quickly, and he froze.

_Was it that obvious? I know I attempted to kiss her, but Ghastly was no-where near us when that happened. _

Finbars eyes opened wide, and he gaped.

"Oh, Skul-man, you got the hots for Valkyrie? Ah, hell! I never would have shown you that if I knew that."

"No, Finbar. It's fine. Yes, I have feelings for Valkyrie. She is a lovely girl. Drop it."

"But, Skul!"

"_Drop. It._"He looked sharply at Finbar. He held his hands up, surrendering, just as Fletcher appeared again.

"Sorry I took so long, Kenspeckle was yelling at me about…" He trailed off, noticing Finbars stance and the shocked look on Ghastlys face. "Did I miss something?"

"No. Is Valkyrie safe?" Skulduggery walked toward Fletcher.

"Yeah, she's awake and fine. Who wants to go first? I can't take you right to her; Kenspeckle kicked me out before I could figure out how bad she was."

"Take Ghastly and I first then come back for Finbar."

"Save the best for last, yeah. Hey I'm glad Val is good, I'll see you later, Skul." Finbar said, his hands back in his pockets.

"Goodbye, Finbar." Wind rushed around him, and he was back in the school, standing by Kenspeckles office. Skulduggery stormed through the door, rushing over to Valkyrie's side. He vaguely heard Kenspeckle protesting, but Skulduggery ignored it.

His gloved had flown to her chin, his bony fingers tilting her face from side to side as he inspected her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Skulduggery." Valkyrie said, and Skulduggery felt a warmth flow through him. Her voice was comforting. "I'm just a little sore from sleeping on the floor for a couple days."

"And the torture." Valkyrie flinched.

"That too." She shifted her position on the bed she was perched on. Skulduggery moved his hand away from her face, and Kenspeckle pushed him out of the way.

"Let me do my job!" The old man exclaimed, continuing his examination. Skulduggery stepped back, and Kenspeckle proceeded to fuss over her.

"How long was I gone?" She spoke, messing with the sleeve of her coat, which lay in her lap. Kenspeckle lifted her arms up, observing the palms of both hands.

"Two days." Skulduggery tilted his head at her. "Did he say anything to you?" Valkyrie nodded and explained what Serpine had gloated to her about knowing how to bypass the schools security. Skulduggerys suspicions were confirmed, Serpine _did _have someone on the inside. Valkyrie stopped talking for a moment.

"He told me… About your parents." She said, her eyes sad. "He said he was going to kill me in front of you, just like he did with your family." This time, Skulduggery was the one who nodded.

"Doesn't surprise me. Serpine is a very evil man, he will try anything to please his sick mind."

"I'm sorry about your parents." Valkyrie spoke softly, and Skulduggery held one hand up.

"Don't worry about it, Valkyrie. It was a long time ago." Valkyrie sighed and remained quiet.

_I'll protect you, Valkyrie._ Skulduggery thought. _I was unable to protect my family. But I will protect you with whatever life I have left. _


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not know why but lately the chapters are becoming really hard to write. Anyway, keep reviewing and all that jazz, it motivates me to write more :3. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. I ignored this chapter cause I managed to get ahold of an online copy of Dark Days and Mortal Coil (I live in the US, they haven't come out) And I read both in one day soooo yeah. Oh and this chapter is being a bitch to write. Enjoy!**

_Once again, I find myself in the healing hands of Kenspeckle…_ I thought, watching as he bandaged my wrists. Skulduggery stood to the side, his arms folded across one another. Kenspeckle tried getting me to stay the night, but I insisted that a hot shower and a goodnights sleep will get be back to normal. He let me go, and Skulduggery walked me back up to the dorm. We were both silent on the trip back, and I stared at my shoes the entire time.

My mind flashed back to the dance, when Skulduggery tried to kiss me. The action left me so confused. I didn't know if I had feelings toward him like that or not. He was my best friend, I didn't know if I wanted to ruin our friendship incase a romantic relationship failed. I shook my head, and turned to Skulduggery just as we made it to the dorm.

"Serpine has Ghastlys mom." I said before either of us could mention the almost-kiss.

"You know that for a fact?" He asked. I wrapped my arms around my body.

"Yeah, Sanguine told me. We need to get her back. Before they kill her."

"They won't kill her."

"Why do you say that?" I looked at him.

"She's of too much importance to them right now. And they can use her as leverage. For all he knows, we could just back off and ignore the fact he tried to kill you, but since he has Ghastly's mother he knows we will be coming back." Skulduggery latched his gloved fingers behind his back.

"Well how are we going to find them? No doubt they'll move locations."

"That's true. It was out of sheer luck we were able to find the caves that Ghastly's father told us about. They know where you live, and they know how to get past the schools defenses."

"Exactly. We need to go to them _now._ Before they move. No doubt they've already noticed I'm gone, Serpine tortured me every few hours like clockwork." I flinched, and started to walk back to the stairs. "We have to save her." Skulduggery grabbed my arm, yanking me back. I looked at him and scowled.

"_You_ aren't going anywhere. Neither am I or Tanith or Ghastly. It's not time." He said, his voice emotionless. "You need your rest, Valkyrie. You were in Nefarian Serpines hands for two days."

"I'm fine, Skulduggery. Look at me. The worst injury I had was the fact my wrists had been rubbed raw from the chains I was in." Yanking my arm from his grasp, I crossed my arms.

"You were tortured repeatedly, Valkyrie."

"You think I don't know that? _I. Am. Fine._" I stressed, glaring at him. Skulduggery shook his head, walking a few steps toward me.

"You are not in any shape to go fighting with a madman right now. You need to rest for tonight. Tomorrow we can find you a new place to stay and we can deal with this after you're better."

"You're acting like I fell off of a moving car, Skulduggery."

"I've been subject to his torture before, Valkyrie. I know what it does to you."

"Then you should know that I'm fine." I began to walk towards the stairs again.

"I listened on the phone to you being attacked and almost kidnapped." The cold tone in his voice stopped me in my track, his voice rising with each word. "I watched Sanguine slice your neck open, leaving you with a scar that is _never going away._ " He walked slowly toward me and I shrunk away, my back pressing against the wall. "I watched Sanguine take you away, away from me." Skulduggery came closer, looming over me, his chest only a few inches from mine. "I waited for two days, and then I watched through Finbars eyes as Serpine tortured you. And all I could do was sit back and wait for Fletcher, _Fletcher_, to rescue you. I am not, I repeat, _not_ letting you into the face of danger without me again." A quiver ran through my spine, and I saw his hands clench and unclench.

Suddenly, my dorm door opened and Tanith poked her head out, searching for the source of noise. She spotted us, and her eyes widened.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked slowly.

"No. I was just explaining to Valkyrie the dangers of driving without a seatbelt on." Skulduggery said, his voice chipper. He stepped away, and walked for the stairs. "Have a good night, Valkyrie. Tanith." She nodded her head, confusion flitting across her features. Skulduggery left, and I stormed past Tanith and threw myself onto the bed with a huff.

"So… Do you want to explain what just happened?" She said, sitting at the edge of my bed. I shoved my face into a pillow and answered with a muffled _no_. She shrugged, and I murmured into the pillow.

"What was that?" Tanith asked. I muttered it again louder, my face still smushed into the pillow. "Valkyrie, I can't understand you." I lifted my head up, propping myself up on my elbows and staring at the wall.

"He tried to kiss me." I repeated, twitching at the gasp that game from Tanith.

"He did _what?_"

"He tried to kiss me. At the dance. Right before Serpines attack." Tanith stared at me, astonished.

"Bloody hell."

"Yeah. I pushed him away."

"Did you not want to kiss him?" I sighed, rolling over on my back.

"I don't know. Part of me wanted to. The other part didn't want to ruin our friendship. He said—Out there he said that 'Serpine took me away, away from him.'" I quoted, rubbing my eyes.

"Bloody _hell._" She said again, flopping backwards. She looked up at the ceiling and then to me. "Do you feel the same way?"

"I don't know. I mean, all I thought about when Serpine had me was 'Skulduggery is going to save me, Skulduggery will come for me.' He's the only one I thought of."

"He likes you, Val. And I think you like him." I groaned, leaning up to meet her eyes.

"Boys are so _complicated_ though. Especially Skulduggery. What if we got into a fight? Eh?"

"I think it'd be strangely hilarious and full with enough sarcasm to last everyone a month." She smirked. I rolled on to my feet, glaring at her.

"I'm getting in the shower."

"Want me to ask if Skulduggery wishes to join?" A furious blush spread across my cheeks and Tanith started laughing. I threw a pillow at her and stormed into the bathroom just as she fell to the floor, holding her stomach, tears rolling down her face. I started grumbling, stripping off my clothes.

I let the water flow off me, my shoulders rolling as the dirt and grime and left over make-up washed off my face. A few minutes later, I stepped out of the shower, feeling a hundred times better. After towel drying my hair, I walked back out and laid back down. Scowling at Tanith, she stuck her tongue out at me.

The next day, I woke up feeling good as new, other than the nightmares that ransacked my brain the entire night. The school had shut down all classes after the attack, and according to Tanith, a whole load of students left for a few days to get away from the chaos. I didn't blame them.

Tanith and I walked down to the commons area, meeting up with Skulduggery and Ghastly. Fletcher was there, too, looking ridiculous with his hair sticking up all over the place. Ghastly looked over, and Fletcher smiled at us both, but Skulduggery didn't move. I stood beside Fletcher, the events of last night still weirding me out. Skulduggery carried on conversation like nothing was wrong, and Ghastly and Tanith spoke with him enthusiastically. I was staring at my boots when Fletcher leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"You look tired," He said, probably referring to the fact that the bags under my eyes had bags. I sighed and glanced up at him.

"I didn't get very good sleep last night." I replied, keeping my voice low.

"Oh. _I _did. Teleporting that much wore me out. I need more practice." He started rambling, and I tuned him out. I glanced up at Skulduggery, watching as his jaw bone moved with each word he spoke. I saw his head turn just barely in my direction, and I knew he was watching back. After a moment I dropped my eyes, and Fletcher finally stopped talking.

"Does that sound good, Valkyrie?" My head snapped up, unaware I was being spoken to.

"Sorry, what?"

"You're going to stay at my house for the time being. Serpine does not know where that is, and he will not find out. I like my privacy and that is going to continue. We will have Tanith follow behind us a few carlengths back to make sure we aren't being chased, and after that we can plan to take Serpine down." I shrugged, a spark running through me at the idea of being with Skulduggery alone at his home. "Sound good?" I made a noise of agreement and trudged back upstairs to pack my clothes. After throwing my bags in the back of the Bentley, I got in beside Skulduggery as he clicked his seatbelt on.

We drove in silence for a few minutes before I sighed, staring out the window. As the trees flew past and civilization started to appear in their place, Skulduggery put his façade on. I snuck a glance in his direction, my breath catching as I saw his human face again.

_He _is _cute. _I thought, looking down at my hands. The manicure Tanith had given me was chipped off, and my nails were ragged from clawing at the floor. _What am I? Hundreds of years younger than him? Why does he have interest in me? If he even has any more interest at all? He probably forgot all about the kiss. He's barely spoken to me since the fight, he probably knows I'm not worth his time. _

I started chewing on my lip, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Skulduggery's hand tighten on the wheel.

A while later, I had fallen asleep while Skulduggery drove. I dreamt, but all I could remember was darkness and the faint sound of screaming. I had a feeling that the nightmares that took control at night were no longer supplied by Ghastlys mother.

_Valkyrie._

_Valkyrie.._

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery's voice shocked me awake, and I opened my eyes. "We're here." Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I grabbed the only bag left in the back; Skulduggery had the other one slung over his shoulder. I followed him through the front door, glancing around his house. It was clean, furnished in expensive looking pieces, and looked as impeccable as its owner.

"Follow me." He said. We walked through the main living area into a smaller room. It, too, had living room pieces scattered throughout it. "You can stay here. It has a bathroom attached to it, with a shower. Okay?" I shrugged again and sat my bags down, beginning my snoop around. Skulduggery followed me, whether he was watching me to make sure I didn't break anything or whether he was watching me out of sheer amusement was a mystery, but I suspected the latter. He was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and his lips twitching. Why he hadn't removed his façade was a mystery.

I walked back out to the main living room and plopped on the couch. Skulduggery followed close behind, perching on the armrest. I stared at the blank TV for a moment.

"I don't suppose you have any food lying around, would you?" I asked, peaking at him. He shook his head.

"You can order a pizza if you would like."

"I don't have any money." I turned back to the TV, and a few moments later a twenty dollar bill fluttered into my lap. I grabbed it and looked up the number for the nearest pizza joint. I was pacing the living room 45 minutes later, Skulduggery watching me with a bemused look on his face when the doorbell rang. I was behind the couch when Skulduggery opened the door. I looked over to smile at the pizza guy when a shock went through me. I immediately dropped to the floor, pressing my back into the soft fabric of the couch.

It was one of my cousins. Who didn't know a thing about magic.

"That'll be $17.95 please. " Carol said, popping her gum. A strange tone entered her voice, one I never heard from her unless she was around guys. I heard them exchange the pizza for the money, and Carol spoke again. "Enjoy your pizza." My jaw dropped.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, sir. Order from us again soon. " A horrified shudder went through me, and the door shut.

"That was rather strange behavior from a pizza delivery girl." Skulduggery said. He walked back behind the couch, pizza box in hand. I looked up at him sheepishly. "Valkyrie, why are you on the floor?"

"That was my cousin. Half of the Toxic Twins. She doesn't know anything about magic and certainly doesn't need to know that I'm staying with you. She'll blab to her parents, then her parents will blab to mine. Last thing my dad needs is to find out I'm staying with a boy."

"Ah, well. At least we got the pizza." He said happily as I stood up. Scowling at him, I took the pizza from him and made my way into the kitchen, digging into the steaming food.

"I didn't even know she had a job." I spoke, my voice muffled from the food in my mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's unladylike." Skulduggery chastised, and I stared at him and swallowed.

"Since when have I been ladylike?"

"Touché."

A few hours later I was curled up on the couch Skulduggery designated for me, a blanket burritoed around me. I dozed off to sleep quickly, my mind drifting.

_Skulduggery's lips pressed against mine, hard. My heart was pounding, it felt like it was about to burst from my chest. His hands pressed against the small of my back, pushing me closer to him. My fingers dug in his soft hair, holding him there. I felt him move forward, and suddenly he was lowering me to the bed behind me. Our kiss never broke, my heart slamming into my ribcage even harder. _

_His mouth trailed down to my neck, then back up to my mouth. His teeth played with my lip, and I shivered. This was everything I ever wanted, and more. He was beautiful. He was kind. He protected me. We loved each other. _

"_Skulduggery?" I whispered, as his mouth moved along mine. _

"_Hmm?" _

"_I love you." I murmured against his lips, pulling him closer. His head dipped to my neck, but the kisses had stopped. I felt his body shaking, and for a moment I thought that he was crying. I was wrong._

_My brow furrowed, and cruel laughter came from Skulduggery. My heard sank, I didn't understand. Why was he laughing at me? _

"_Skulduggery?" I asked again, and this time my voice was quivering for a different reason. He pushed himself up, his head still bent down. I couldn't see his face. _

_Suddenly, his head bent up, and I screamed as a knife plunged into my heart. It wasn't Skulduggery. It was Serpine. _

I shot up on the couch, panting. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, and my forehead sheened with sweat. The blankets were wrapped around my feet, the pillow halfway across the room. Skulduggery burst into the room, his gun in hand.

"Valkyrie? What's wrong? I heard you scream," He said, his voice tense. "Did anyone hurt you?" I shook my head.

"Nightmare." I got out, my hands shaking as I moved my hair out of my face. He sighed in relief, placing the gun back in its holster. "Just give me a minute. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked softly. I nodded.

"Wait outside, I'll be out there in a minute." He waited a moment, his eyeless skull watching me before he walked out, gently shutting the door behind him. A few minutes past before I stood up and stumbled into the bathroom.

After washing my face with cold water, I stepped out into the living room. Skulduggery sat there, patiently waiting. The blanket and pillow were bunched in my fist, dragging behind me. It was still dark outside. Sitting beside Skulduggery, he put is arm around me, softly pulling me to him. I rested my head against his chest, my eyes closed.

"Was it a nightmare from Ghastlys mom?" I thought for a moment, comparing it to the nightmares I first started having to this one.

"No. Just a normal night terror." The tone in my voice dropped the subject. I sighed before placing the pillow in Skulduggerys lap, lying down and pulling the blanket over my body. He froze for a second, like he was unsure what to do. His bony fingers stroked my hair, and I finally relaxed. Even though he was only made of bones, he brought a sense of warmth and comfort to me. I knew that this time, my sleep will be uninterrupted.


	11. Chapter 11

**WHOA THERE BRETHREN okay so I got a job and my first day was today (7/19) YAAAYYYYY MONEY anyway I won't have as much free time to work on chapters anymore so they will be coming out slower I'm sorry guys ****. Anyway I really am unhappy with this chapter and how short it is but I've been working on it for **_**days**_** and this Is the best I could do. I'm sorry! Enjoy and review and let me know how I can improve!**

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone. I lifted my head up off the pillow, looking around. Sizzling drifted from the kitchen, and a moment later the smell of burnt food wafted out to me. I wrinkled my nose and sat up, rubbing my eyes with the palm of my hands. Skulduggery cursed, and I looked toward the kitchen in confusion.

"What…are you doing?" I said, slowly walking into the kitchen. Grocery bags scattered the floor, and bowls filled with half made breakfast foods littered the counter. I could tell by the way Skulduggery held his body over the never-used stove that he was frustrated.

"I am making you breakfast!" He said proudly. I walked over and poked at the charred eggs that sat beside the stove.

"Are you now?" He kept his chin up high for a moment before his shoulders slumped and he hung his head in shame.

"I'm trying, everything keeps burning." He grumbled. I started laughing, cleaning up the mess he made.

"It's fine, Skulduggery. "

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Let me do it. How long has it been since you've had to cook food?" He muttered some answer I couldn't understand, then sighed. "C'mon, Skul. You teach me combat and magic all the time, let me teach you something simple and mundane."

"Fine, but tell no one. I have to maintain my dignity."

"Dignity?"

"Shut up."

Thirty minutes later, I was finally able to teach Skulduggery how to make eggs and pancakes without burning them. After I finished eating, he helped me wash the dishes, and we talked about what we were going to do about Serpine. Skulduggery for once was as clueless as I was. Eventually, the kitchen was clean and I had made my way to the bathroom to wash up. After showering and drying my hair, I slid my clothes on, and Skulduggery and I went to the grocery store to buy food. Neither of us knew how long I was going to be staying with him, so we were trying to be prepared.

Considering I was too afraid that someone would recognize me with Skulduggery, we drove 45 minutes out to a different store in a bigger town. Skulduggery followed me in, his façade activated. I had sent Skulduggery to find some milk while I looked at the cereal when someone bumped into my shoulder. I looked around, surprised to see that it was one of the students from the academy. I couldn't remember his name, but I recognized the face. His eyes widened, and I blinked.

"Hey! It's, uh, Valkyrie, right?" I nodded.

"Hi. You're in my ma—my conditioning class, right?" I said, catching myself before I said "magic." He nodded back eagerly. An elderly woman walked by, pushing her cart in front of her. She smiled at us both.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm… I'm Ray Scribe. Hi." Realization washed over me.

"You threw a fire ball at me the first day I was here." The old woman walked out of earshot.

"He did what now?" Skulduggery walked back, a carton of milk in his hands. Ray stuttered for a moment before I responded.

"My first day at the academy, I walked in and was greeted by a lovely ball of fire headed straight for my beautiful face." Skulduggery laughed, putting the milk in the basket.

"You're an odd one, Scribe." Ray blushed, wringing his hands in front of him.

"It wasn't on purpose. Mr. Bliss scares me. I was just trying to impress him." He muttered.

"I've only known Bliss for a little over a month and a half and even I know it's going to take a lot to impress that man." I said, shrugging. Skulduggery agreed. We spoke for a few more minutes before Ray said that he had to go. He ran off, and Skulduggerys eyes followed him. A smile was playing at the edge of his lips, and I looked at him weirdly.

"I think he fancies you." I rolled my eyes and began to push the cart again.

"What makes you say that?"

"The last time he acted like that toward a lady, it was toward China. Granted, the majority of the reactions he had toward _her_ were not justifiably his fault."

"Who is China?" I pulled cookies off the shelf and tossed them in the cart.

"China Sorrows. Funnily enough, she's Mr. Bliss's sister." Skulduggery responded, his hands resting in his pockets.

"Well, what's so special about her?"

"Simply put, the second you lay eyes on her, you fall in love with her." I stared at him for a moment, squashing the jealous feelings that fluttered in my belly.

"What if you don't even _like_ girls?"

"Doesn't matter. You'll get used to it, don't worry. The moment you leave her presence, the feeling goes away. Well, for most people. For people like Mr. Scribe there, the feelings linger."

A few minutes later, we were checking out, and Skulduggerys head was tilted. I raised an eyebrow at him, curious to what he was thinking. We were well on the way back to his house when he finally spoke up.

"Come to think of it, China may not be a bad person to visit…" He spoke, tapping the steering wheel.

"Why is that?"

"She may be able to set up a magical defense around the school that will alert her when Serpine or any one of his lackey's tries to get through."

"Well… If you think she will help."

"She very well may not. While I have known her for many years, probably more than she cares to admit, she has no favor for me. I will not be surprised if she refuses to help."

"What's the point of asking if you think she is just going to say no?" My arms folded across my chest.

"It never hurts to try, Valkyrie. She dislikes Serpine just as much as I do, she might be inclined to do anything to remove him completely and forever out of her life."

An hour and a half later, Skulduggery and I pulled in front of a large building. It was beautiful on the outside; it almost reminded me of the academy. We walked into the building, revealing a large, expansive library. Strange looking people meandered around, not even glancing up in surprise at Skulduggery's skeletal form. We made it to the front desk, where a woman stood with her back to us.

"Mr. Skulduggery Pleasant. It has been a while since you have graced me with your presents. I trust you are well?" She said, long dark hair spilling down her back.

"China. We have come for your help." He replied, taking his hat off of his skull. China Sorrows turned around and smiled, and I blinked at the sudden rush of affection I had toward her. She was beautiful. And she had the same ice-blue eyes as Mr. Bliss.

"I apologize; I don't think we have met." China said to me, and I shook my head. "Again, I apologize. The affect I have on people does not discriminate." Skulduggery sighed beside me.

"China, I'm sorry for being so crass but we are here on business." He placed his hat back on his head and looked at her.

"Very well. Follow me." She walked off, Skulduggery close behind. I scrambled after them as she led us into what I assumed to be her apartment. "Now, what is it, Skulduggery? You know, I am a busy woman."

"As I am sure that you've heard, Valkyrie here," He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Has been attacked numerous times by Serpine. She was even captured for a few days until we enlisted the help of a teleporter and Sensitive."

"Word travels fast."

"I am aware. I am also aware that you're equipped with the ability to form a sort of protective barrier around whatever you please."

"That I am."

"We want you to set up a barrier around the academy." China smiled gently at Skulduggery.

"Anything to help my dear brother. Bliss practically _runs_ the school." She said, walking over to the window that over looked the city.

"Better than Crux." I muttered. China laughed.

"Ah, yes. He's still around, is he?" China turned to me, her eyes flickering downward. "The work of Sanguine, I presume?" My hand fluttered up to my neck, feeling the raised scar.

"Yeah, Skulduggery got there just as he was about to kill me." Before she could respond, Skulduggery held up one gloved palm.

"I pray you understand the severity of the situation, China. Not one soul other than the three of us can know about the barrier. The Cleavers will be notified so they can act accordingly when someone breaks the shield, but that is all."

"You fear there is a spy in the academy." She said, raising a single, delicate eyebrow at him.

"Serpine somehow managed to get into the academy without the Cleavers knowing. _Someone_ had to have told him how to get through. It's only logical that it was someone on the inside."

"Fair enough. I'll be over at the academy early tomorrow morning."

"I will pick you up," Skulduggery spoke. "I know how… flashy you can get, China. It will be the best for us if you come with us. We will take you there and bring you back."

"Whatever you say, Skulduggery." China sighed. Skulduggery clapped his hands together.

"Perfect!" He turned on his heel and walked out. After waving a goodbye at China, I ran after him. He had put his façade back on, and sped down the street.

"Do you think it's going to work?" I asked, snuggling down into the Bentleys comfortable seat.

"It's our last chance. "

Shortly after, we arrived back at Skulduggery's home. I fell face down on the couch, my thoughts dancing between everything that could possibly happen. Skulduggery tapped on my shoulder, and I peeked one eye at him.

"Valkyrie, you're taking up the whole couch."

"So? There are other chairs."

"Yes, but I like this couch. This is a very special couch."

Lifting my head up off the cushion, I stared at him. "Why is this couch so special?"

"Because it is my couch. Now get up." I sighed and sat up, scooting over to make room for him. He sat down, barely making the couch shift. After kicking my shoes off and propping my feet in his lap, I leaned back and rested my head against the arm of the couch.

_It's like the fight never happened.._ I thought. _He seems to be perfectly fine. And content that I have my feet on his spotless suit. _My thoughts drifted to the almost kiss as Skulduggery leaned over and flicked the TV on. I stared at the screen, the images creating shadows against the walls as the sunlight faded. Skulduggery's hand rested lightly on my shin, as if he was asking me not to move. I closed my eyes, and let his closeness and the white noise of the TV drift me into an early sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

****SKULDUGGERY P.O.V.****

The next day, Skulduggery and Valkyrie trained while waiting for Tanith and Ghastly to arrive. He remained in his skeletal form, even though Valkyrie requested (with a slight blush) that he used his façade. He refused, believing it was time for her to battle someone with no muscles that burn, no breath to get lost, and no heart to start pounding. She grumbled and scowled at him, but took it with good grace.

They sparred in an empty room of his, and fifteen minutes in, Valkyrie had sweat dripping off of her face. Skulduggery inwardly smiled, not feeling any fatigue at all. She swung out a fist, and he easily dodged it. He was trying to stay on the defensive; he didn't like the idea of actually hurting her, even if they were training. He, however, didn't have any skin to bruise, so Valkyrie was on the offensive with full force and determination to win in her eyes.

Every time they trained, she was getting better, Skulduggery had to admit that. Her reflexes were improving, her stamina lengthening. She was also able to manipulate the elements in ways that Skulduggery hadn't seen in a student before. Well, all the elements except for earth. She was getting good, and was closing in fast on Skulduggerys skill level. He hated to brag, but he knew that if she was training with someone else that wasn't himself or Tanith, she wouldn't be catching on so quickly.

Valkyrie's fist headed for his jaw again, but he caught it. Twisting, he spun her around, locking her arm behind her back. She grunted, and then backed up into him. He stumbled a little before she reached her other arm around grabbed his wrist, flame in hand. The heat shot pain through his arm, and he released his hold on her. Her now free arm shot up and over her shoulder, grabbing his collar. She bent over, her other hand quickly reaching back to mimic the first and she threw him over her.

He maneuvered the air around him, and landed on his feet. His back was to her, and he felt the air shift as she ran toward him. He spun around and blocked the foot that headed for his leg, grabbing it and twisting. Valkyrie lost her balance and fell face first toward the floor, catching herself with her palms. She kicked out of his grip and used her weight to push herself upright, flipping over so her legs were up above her then on the floor. She quickly stood up and turned back to Skulduggery as he looked at her.

"What?" She said, panting. She rotated the wrist Skulduggery had grabbed ahold of, checking to see if it was sore he presumed. He chuckled, shaking his head. Valkyrie rolled her eyes, and Skulduggery used her distraction to push the air around her. She gasped and skidded backwards, tripping over her feet. She fell on the seat of her jeans and scowled up at him. He shrugged and picked his hat up off the floor.

"You need to pay attention," Skulduggery said, flipping his hat up on his head. He reached out a hand and helped Valkyrie up. She glared at him and brushed her pants off.

"I hate you."

"Nonsense." He walked out of the room, straightening his suit. She followed behind him, muttering under her breath. He reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a water, which she greedily gulped down.

"You're lucky, you know that?" Skulduggery cocked his head at her, confused.

"Why is that?" He said, leaning against the counter. Valkyrie gulped down more water, wiping sweat off her brow.

"I mean, aside from it kind of sucking that you're dead and all… You don't have to recover after a fight." She raised an eyebrow at him, twisting the cap back on the bottle.

"You mean, other than if I break something, right?"

"Well, duh. Yeah. Here I am sweating like a pig, and you're just standing there all high and mighty." Skulduggery laughed.

"I _am_ pretty great." Valkyrie was about to retort when there was a knock on the door. Skulduggery pushed himself up and walked for the door. She trailed behind him, scowling at the white of his skull. He opened the door, and they were greeted by Ghastly, his father, and Tanith.

"Well well well, what have you two been doing?" Tanith said, catching sight of Valkyrie's sweaty and slightly flushed face. She blushed, her face turning even pinker.

_Okay, that was cute…_

"Training." Skulduggery replied, pretending to be oblivious to the innuendo. He stepped aside and they walked in, Ghastly's father patting Skulduggery on the shoulder with a smile. Ghastly had two parcels in his hands.

"I brought you both something," He said, handing Valkyrie and Skulduggery each a parcel. Valkyries face lit up. She tore it open, but being the dapper man he was, Skulduggery opened it carefully. He snuck a look at Valkyrie, holding back a laugh at the look on her face. She stared down at the clothes in her hand, her facial expressions screaming "confused".

"Ghastly?" She said, cocking her head.

"Yes?"

"Why did you make me a suit?" She held up the neatly folded clothes. Skulduggery looked down at the clothes in his own hands, surprised to see a deep black coat, similar to the one Valkyrie had on now. Tanith burst out laughing, Valkyrie continued to look bewildered. Skulduggery shrugged and walked into the next room, away from the others. He stripped off his own jacket and slid on the other coat, adjusting it around his frame. He walked back out, his head tilted to the side.

"The sleeves are a little short, and it doesn't match my tie, but I'm positive I can retain my dignity in it." He said, looking down at himself. Valkyrie and Tanith stared at him for a second before looking at each other. It was silent for a moment before both girls started giggling hysterically, clutching their stomachs. Skulduggery warmed at the sound of Valkyries laugh.

"You're such a goon." She said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Give me my jacket."

A few minutes later, they sat around the living room, discussing various plans. Skulduggery sat next to Valkyrie, his knees tilted toward her.

"Should we wait for him to attack again?" Valkyrie asked, fiddling with the cap on her water bottle. "We have no clue where he is. We haven't had any sighting of him or Sanguine, and I haven't had any Sensitive related nightmares."

"You're positive this Serpine man has my wife?" Ghastlys father spoke, leaning forward. Valkyrie nodded, meeting his eyes.

"Yes. Sanguine told me. They have her for sure." He nodded slowly, frowning. Skulduggery felt a slight pang of regret for both Ghastly and his father. Who knows the kind of torture she has been subjected to for all these years? Ghastlys mother is a good person; there must have been intense moments for her to have given up information to hurt Valkyrie.

"Valkyrie is right," Skulduggery said, relaxing back into his chair. His knee bumped into Valkyrie's, and she shot him a look. They met gazes for a moment. "We have to lure him out of his cave, whether I'm speaking metaphorically or literally." He broke their..er.. Eye/Eyesocket contact, glancing around at the other mages.

"We had Fletcher check the caves before we left," Tanith said. "They're gone, there's not one trace that they were there."

"Figured so. Unfortunately, the ball remains in his court. We will have to wait until he makes the next move to be able to take action."

"Who knows when that will be?" Valkyrie threw her hands up in frustration.

"It won't be long, however morbid that sounds. Serpine wants you," _So do I.._ "He will be fighting tooth and nail to get you."

"Fabulous. So in the meantime, we're just going to sit around and wait for something to happen?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Skulduggery replied pleasantly. Valkyrie rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you want us to stay?" Tanith asked, nudging Skulduggery with the toe of her boot. He shook his head, sitting up.

"I can take care of Valkyrie just fine." Valkyrie made a noise of protest.

"I don't need babysitting!"

"She's in safe hands." Tanith smiled and stood up. The rest of them followed suit, headed for the front door.

"We're going to stay in town for a few days, just as a precaution." Ghastly said, pausing at the door.

"Ah, I won't be." Ghastly's father interjected. "I'm much too old for these kinds of shenanigans, with all due respect. I will be headed back to the academy. There are many unfinished pieces of clothing that I have neglected."

"Of course. Stay safe, all of you." Skulduggery spoke warmly.

After they left, Skulduggery and Valkyrie sat in the living room, the flickering TV teasing the shadows across their features. Valkyries eyes were locked on the screen, and Skulduggery observed her.

_What kind of hell is this…_ He thought grimly. _That the first time I feel love in hundreds of years, it is with a girl who is many ages younger than I. Not to mention the fact that I am a dead man. The human body I have using the façade is merely that, an illusion. I'm not alive, nor will I ever be again. Valkyrie, however… She is brimming with life. Her eyes have emotion; her heart seems very pure and genuine. She's a kind soul, albeit very sarcastic and stubborn. She pushed me away when I attempted to kiss her, it's obvious the feelings I have for her are not mutual. I do believe that is a good thing. No reason to give her another chance to be hurt. _

_That's all I ever do. Is hurt. _

****ALTERNATE P.O.V., 2 DAYS LATER****

"_We have the girl's whereabouts, Nefarian." The man said. _

"_Good…Good." Nefarian Serpine smiled. _

"_Do you have a plan, boss? They're sneaky sons of—" Sanguine stopped as Serpine held one hand up. He reached into his bulging coat pocket, pulling out a small round sphere. "The hell is that?" _

"_Our dear friend here brought this to me. It has been hidden deep inside the Academy." Serpine said, looking at the sphere with an air of pride. _

"_Speaking of the academy, Nefarian, they're getting suspicious. All of them." _

"_Of you?"_

"_No, not yet."_

"_That implies that you believe they will at some point." _

_The man sighed. "I have given them no reason to suspect me."_

"_Then there is no reason to worry. I have this under control. In a few short days, this fellow right here," He held up the sphere, "Is going to solve all of our problems." _

"_As far as I can tell, the only problem is this Valkyrie girl, and she is _your_ problem." _

"_I'm afraid I have to agree with him, boss." Serpine chewed on his toothpick. _

"_Oh, dear sir. You and I both know that there is a problem involving you, also." The man's fist clenched. _

"_I would not have a problem if it wasn't for _you._" _

"_You make a valid point. It is completely moot, though."_

"_Are you gonna explain what's in that ball of yours or not?" Sanguine interrupted. Serpine growled at him for a moment before lifting the sphere up. _

"_This, my friend, is a Soul Catcher." Sanguine frowned. _

"_Yeah, so? Why did y'all need a Soul Catcher? I thought those were for them freaky Remnant things." _

"_Oh, they are. But this one is special. Reinforced." _

_Sanguine began becoming impatient. "Reinforced for what?" Sanguine messed with the sphere for a moment. The top slid open, revealing the deepest black inside. After a moment, a form slowly slid out of it, forming the silhouette of a human body. It appeared scratchy, grainy. It was like you were looking at a million things at once, yet not at all. All the three men could see was black and gray lines scattered across, crisscrossing and flicking around like a child's nightmare. _

"_This is a Rouge Faceless One." Serpine looked at it proudly. Sanguines jaw dropped, his face going pale. _

"_I thought the Faceless ones were gone!" _

"_They are. This is a weaker one. One that is able to be controlled by whoever releases him first. Which would be yours truly. An unnamed sorcerer was able to capture the Rouge Faceless Ones many centuries ago. It was a mostly underground operation, only a few mages know about it. The rest of them are around the world in other Sanctuaries. The Rouge Faceless Ones were rejected by the Gods. The Ancients killed off the majority of the Rouges, and even a few were able to defeat them without the use of the Scepter. They're weak in compare to the Gods, but they're still very powerful against a simple 16 year old girl."_

"_So you're going to tell this… Thing to attack the Cain girl?"_

"_Exactly. The Rouge will be able to sense the Ancient blood in her veins. It will recognize that her ancestors murdered its brothers. Even if I wasn't commanding it, it would have murder on its mind. She has managed to evade us twice now. They have too many weapons. There is no point for any of us to die when it can do the job for us." _

"_I have betrayed my friends and family to do this for you, Nefarian. You better do what you promised," The man threatened, barely noticing the Rouge. _

"_I am a man of my word. You'll get what you want. Where is Valkyrie Cain right now?" _

"_She is staying with Skulduggery." A slow grin spread across Nefarian Serpines cruel features. _

"_Perfect." _


	13. Chapter 13

**HEY GUYS I'm really sorry that this chapter has taken so long to get posted. I've been working and getting ready for school and my computer had to be shut down like three times while I was over 1500 words into the chapter so I lost it multiple times. I'm really sorry and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm never going to abandon this fic so don't worry! Review, Rate, Enjoy, friends!**

I woke suddenly, my eyes flickering across the ceiling. A sense of uneasiness settled in the pit of my stomach. I listened closely, and I could hear Skulduggerys footsteps, light and even. Sighing, I pushed myself up, working my legs out of the blanket that had burrito'd around my feet. The room was dark and chilly. Unsurprising, Skulduggery didn't need heat. I walked into the bathroom, splashing water on my face. I hadn't had any nightmares the past couple of nights. I had been at Skulduggerys for two weeks now, and nothing major had happened. Tanith had called the other night; kids were still being pulled from the Academy, though Serpine hadn't made any move since the last time.

After brushing my bedhead hair down and tying it back into a loose pony tail, I walked out of the room, making my way to the kitchen. Skulduggery was sitting at the table, his head bent low over a book that lay open in front of him. He looked up when I walked in, quickly shutting the book. I raised an eyebrow, grabbing a water from the refrigerator.

"Are you reading a cook book?" I asked, a smile twitching at the edge of my lips. He dragged the book beside him, dropping it on the floor with a slight thud.

"_No." _He grumbled, and I laughed.

"For me? Aw, Skul. You're so sweet." _It really was a cute thing to do…_

Skulduggery cleared his nonexistent throat, straightening up in his chair. His jacket was folded across the back of the seat, and the white sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to the elbows, revealing his bones. My gaze flickered down to his arms, my mind briefly wondering what he would look like with his façade on, shirt off. I coughed to expel the thought as Skulduggery spoke.

"It is only the gentleman thing to do for the owner of the house to serve the guest appropriately. You have been making your own meals since you came here; I figured I could master the art of cooking once more." He said as I swished water around my mouth.

"I miss being at the school." Crossing my arms on the table, I rested my chin on my hands, sighing. "I miss the sparring, and training with magic."

"You and I have been doing both of those things since you have been here."

"Yeah, you and me. It's nice to actually beat someone occasionally. Like Ray Scribe. I always beat him."

"Valkyrie, a piece of string tied around a rock could beat him." I scowled at him, and he tilted his head innocently.

"As I was saying… I just hope this Serpine nonsense is over soon. I don't like being the target of someone." I puffed my cheeks up with air.

"It gets pretty unnerving after a while." The air whistled out from between my lips as I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm gonna go back to sleep." After shoving the water back into the refrigerator, I gave Skulduggery a little two finger salute and walked back to the room. Just as I reached the door, Skulduggery spoke again.

"Ah, Valkyrie?" I turned around, and Skulduggery stood up and walked over to me. "Listen—" He suddenly stopped talking, and lunged for me just as something wrapped around my waist and mouth. I let out a muffled yell and was dragged backwards into the room, tossed through the air and tumbling into the couch just as the door slammed shut. Skulduggery hadn't made it into the room, and there was a blackish sheen that lay over the door. The door knob jiggled, but didn't turn. I heard him curse, then heavy blows began to land on the door.

I pushed myself off the couch, trying to find whoever grabbed me. I saw my protective clothing on the floor and dived for it, my hand closing around the soft fabric. Before I could put any of it on, I was thrown off my feet again, this time smacking into the wall. Annoyance pricked over the fear that pooled inside me. After I managed to get back on my feet, I realized that I grabbed my jacket and slid it on. A figure stepped out of the gloom, and I realized I wasn't dealing with a "who." I was dealing with a "what."

It was black, and about as tall as Skulduggery. It had lanky, thin arms and legs. White and grey lines seemed to jitter across it like the static on a TV. My eyes wouldn't focus on it, even as it stood still it seemed to be shifting inches away from itself then back. It took another step toward me, and I acted on pure instinct. I shoved my arms up, palms facing toward the creature. I poured all the energy I had into my hands, pushing outward. Two massive balls of fire shot from my palms toward it. It flew backwards and hit the wall with a loud _thump_. I cried out, pulling my hands to my chest and staring down at my red palms in confusion.

_I didn't even click my fingers…_

Before I had any more time to think on it, the thing disappeared from the wall. I was about to turn around when I felt the air move, then suddenly it raked its hand across my back. I screamed, my impenetrable jacket parting as it casually swiped. Stumbling, I tried to steady myself, tears springing up in the corner of my eyes at the pain. It began playing with me, shoving me this way and that, tugging at my hair.

I ran for the door, my hair painfully being pulled at my scalp as I did so. My hand reached for the door handle, but the second I came in contact with the barrier, black lightning shot from it and forced me backwards.

It stopped yanking at me, appearing a few feet ahead of where I stood. I froze up, paralyzed as its gaze locked on mine. Fear sparked through my veins, and it walked slowly toward me. Its movements, as jerky as they were, were casual. When it was about an arm's length away, it stopped, carefully reaching a hand up. My breath caught in my throat, and a single tear raced its way down my cheek. The monsters hand cradled my face, the tear getting caught in its palm. When it made contact with my skin, the wound on my back started to throb, the pain causing my entire body to stiffen. It seemed to admire me for a moment.

_I'm going to die, _I thought, my mind immediately went to Skulduggery as my cheek went numb under the creatures touch. _There's so much I have to say to him. _

I felt the coldness spread from my cheek. Just as my vision began to go black, the door shimmered and burst open, China standing there with her palms out, red symbols glowing on her hands. It jerked backwards, its hand breaking free from my face. I gasped, leaning over and throwing up, my hands clutching my stomach.

Skulduggery rushed in, pushing past China. Fletcher suddenly appeared at my side, then we both reappeared outside of the door way. Skulduggery had his gun pointed toward the thing, but China was saying something to him urgently. I couldn't understand what they were saying. My vision was blurry and there was a ringing in my ears that wouldn't go away. Fletcher gestured wildly at me, trying to get me to talk. I took a deep, deep breath and tried to calm myself down, ignoring the pain that was making me nauseous. The ringing went away, but my vision was still a bit wobbly.

I looked up. Skulduggery had lowered the gun, but it remained by his side, his hand gripping it tightly. China was still talking, but more calmly this time. The thing that attacked me was just standing there, and even though it didn't have eyes, I could tell it was staring at me. It nodded its head once, then disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Skulduggery holstered his gun and ran over to me, grabbing my shoulders. China came over also, cool and collected. The room was a mess, and the smell of my vomit was starting to make me sick again.

"Are you okay?" Skulduggery said. I frowned, the sofa had tipped over and ripped, and there was a huge hole in the wall.

"I'm sorry about the wall." I looked at Skulduggery. He just stared at me for a moment, his head dropping in surprise.

"Valkyrie, I don't care about the wall. It's a _wall._ I'm worried about you. Are you hurt?" I took a shaky breath, trying to keep the pain from rushing back in. Every tiny movement caused it to start hurting again.

"Yes. My back. My jacket… My jacket didn't protect me." I sniffled as Skulduggery walked around me. Fletchers face was pale as he looked, also. Only China remained seemingly untouched. Skulduggery ordered Fletcher to teleport us to Kenspeckles, and my stomach lurched as we did. Kenspeckle cursed, a beaker of something shattering to the floor.

"What the h—Valkyrie? What the hell happened?" I looked down at my bare feet and saw blood dripping on the floor.

"Oh. Sorry." I felt cold. Skulduggery explained the situation to him, and Kenspeckle stripped my jacket off. I winced in pain.

"Good god…" Kenspeckle said, horrified. "Valkyrie, take your shirt off. I have to operate immediately."

"I…What?"

"Now is no time to be modest, Ms. Cain." He spun around and grabbed a hospital gown. I gave Skulduggery and Fletcher a pointed look. They were standing side by side, and at my glare they both turned to each other, then turned around. I slid my shirt off, and China carefully pushed the gown over my front as Kenspeckle readied to operate. He motioned for me to lie down on my stomach on the table. Skulduggery and Fletcher turned back around.

I met Skulduggerys gaze as I waited for Kenspeckle to make the pain subside. He took his hat off, setting it on a nearby table. I opened my mouth to say something when a sharp pain, different from what I have been feeling, exploded from my back. My words turned into a shout, and Skulduggery looked up at Kenspeckle sharply.

"Why didn't you numb her?" He said, anger creeping into his voice.

"I _did._ Do not presume to think I don't know what I am doing, Detective." Kenspeckle replied, sounding a tad confused.

"It sure doesn't feel like you numbed me," I moaned.

"I don't understand what the problem is," the doctor murmured. "I'll put you to sleep instead." He walked over his fingertips lightly pressing against my scalp. I waited for sleep to grab me, but I remained wide awake. "This… This is strange. I don't get it."

The next ten minutes were spent with Kenspeckle attempting to find some way to numb me or knock me out. China suggested that one of them hit me hard enough to force me to pass out. Skulduggery stared at her, but was silent. We all knew there was no other way. China was the one to hit me; Skulduggery couldn't stand to and Fletcher didn't have a strong enough arm. Kenspeckle was, well, Kenspeckle, and hated the idea of violence.

Problem was, not even China's punch blacked me out. And everyone in the room knew she would have been able to knock me out without a problem. We sat in silence for a few moments, my face buried in my arms as I lie on the cot.

"I'm sorry, Valkyrie. But it is extremely important that we stitch this up _now._"

"There's got to be som—" Skulduggery started, but Kenspeckle cut him off.

"We've tried everything, Mr. Pleasant. She has lost too much blood. We have let this wound fester long enough." The room was eerily quiet for a moment. When Skulduggery spoke again, his voice sounded strained.

"Get started then." As Kenspeckle began preparing everything, Skulduggery hunkered down at the front of the bed where I lay, resting his hands on my arm. I pulled my head up and stared at him, my lips pulled into a tight line.

Kenspeckle went into the hall for a moment, then walked back in with two Cleavers. He instructed them to hold my legs down. I swallowed hard, nervousness and fear raging throughout me. China and Fletcher took hold of my arms, laying them down flat beside me. My cheek pressed down into the thin pillow that lay under my head. Skulduggery rested his hands gently on my head. I looked up at him, and he tilted his head down once. The way his hands felt on my hair… If the situation was different, the hands would almost feel loving.

"Are you ready?" Kenspeckle said, his voice flat. I didn't answer. Kenspeckle was old and grumpy, and didn't like many people, but he liked me, and I knew that this had to be killing him inside. Even if he didn't like me, the idea of him hurting someone even when it was needed was awful to him.

I closed my eyes as Kenspeckle began working.

****SKULDUGGERY P.O.V., 3 HOURS LATER****

Valkyrie lay on the cot, deep asleep. The sounds of her in pain, the moaning, the occasional scream… Skulduggery knew that she was trying to be tough and keep too much from getting out. Her legs bucked and her arms yanked against the hands that held them down. It was an awful experience for everyone involved. Well, excluding the Cleavers.

Before Valkyrie passed out after the surgery was complete, China described the severity of the situation to all of them. Valkyries attacker was a Rouge Faceless One, a brother of the dark Gods that was weak, one that was expelled from the masses of the stronger ones. It was still powerful, and if you had good luck, you could beat it. But it was still a God, even though it was weak.

Whatever it had done to Valkyrie, it caused any magical or mortal medicine to be completely wasted on her. Only good old fashioned stitching healed the wound. Now that the wound was closed, it started healing like normal, and by morning there wouldn't even be a scar.

Skulduggery was wiping the sweat off of Valkyrie's forehead when China spoke.

"So you believe Serpine was the one to cause this?" She said, her blue eyes observing the skeleton.

"I don't believe. I know. Serpine has the resources to get ahold of one of those monsters; no doubt he sent it to do the dirty work for him."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know. Waiting for Serpine to attack again is too dangerous, but I'm afraid that is the only option we have. We don't know where he is, regardless of how much we have been searching. Valkyrie has been attacked multiple times in the past month. It wasn't my plan to kill Serpine, even after all he has done to _me_, but these constant murder attempts against Valkyrie are too much. "

"You better hope that the Rouge doesn't decide to stick with Serpine. Serpine, Sanguine, and a God? How are you going to defeat that?"

Skulduggery sighed and looked down at Valkyrie. She looked peaceful, her shoulders relaxed and fists unclenched. She was beautiful. Skulduggery was not going to let her die. She was strong, she had so much more potential to become more powerful. He was not going to let some madman with a crazed monster take her life away from her.

"I'll find a way."

Skulduggery was scared he might end up dying for her, but if it meant keeping her safe and alive, he was one hundred percent willing to make that sacrifice.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey yo guys, an update, finally, right? Anyway, It may just be me, I don't know, but I'm feeling kind of neglected on the reviews _. I'd love if you guys would review every time you read a new chapter please! It keeps me motivated to write, otherwise I feel as if no one is reading the fic. I really want to continue on with it but I will not if no one is showing any interest in it. Sorry. **

**Anyway, here is the new chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy. CC is encouraged! Read, review, enjoy!**

"Valkyrie, sit down." Skulduggery said. I ignored him.

"Seriously, Val. You're making us all nervous." I ignored her, too.

"I have to agree with the both of him." _Damnit, Ghastly._

I paced back and forth across the room nervously. I was back to normal, the wound on my back healed and the immense pain that I had to endure was now just a mere memory seared into my brain. They had explained to me just a few minutes ago what had attacked me, and I was terrified.

A Rouge Faceless One. A bastardised version of the actual Faceless Ones. And Serpine had control over it.

This was not good.

A small throbbing formed at the back of my skull, sending annoyance through me. Out of all the torture that I have been through, out of all the pain and wounds and split skin, a headache was the only pain left over. Joy.

Tanith was perched on the bed in our dorm room, a few bags filled with the rest of our clothes. The Sanctuary and school officials claimed it was perfectly safe to keep staying in the academy, but we had different ideas. Skulduggery and Ghastly stood leaning against the wall, out of the way of the path I was probably digging into the carpet from my walking. I could feel their eyes on me as I paced, chewing on my bottom lip and trying to figure out some sort of plan of action. Skulduggery and Ghastly didn't have any idea, either. Tanith was just as clueless.

Ever since I moved to the academy, life had been so _eventful. _Even with growing up with magic my entire life, moving here has been such an adventure. A talking skeleton that tried to kiss me, a god that tried to kill me, a psycho killer who has a personal vendetta against me.

I sometimes wonder if I should have stayed at home with my parents, decided to live life normally with magic only whispering in my ear instead of it screaming in my face every waking moment. Every time I do start feeling regret, I wonder. Would Serpine still have come after me if I lived at home? Would he still have tried to kidnap me and eventually kill me? Am I just lucky that I managed to get to a magic school and make some of the closest friendships that I could have never even dreamed about having?

Something else bothers me, too. If I stayed at home… Would I have met Ghastly? Or Tanith, who has grown to be like a sister to me?

Would I have met Skulduggery, someone who has helped save me countless times? Someone who has made me smile, made me laugh, and filled me with warmth I haven't felt before? The almost kiss has left my feelings toward him reeling. I still couldn't tell if I… If I had _feelings_ for him, or if they were just me feeling complimented because someone has shown an interest to me.

Did Skulduggery truly have an interest in me? Not one word had been spoken about that night; maybe he realized that it was all just a mistake.

A sharp pain shot through my chest at the thought of that.

Burying my face in my hands, I sat beside Tanith, and she put a comforting arm around me. I suddenly remembered what happened with my hands when the Rouge was attacking me, and slowly pulled my palms away from my head, staring at them.

"What is it?" Skulduggery said, turning his whole body toward me. My eyes traced at the lines of my hands. They looked completely normal. They weren't burning, or red, or shooting double massive balls of fire at anyone.

"Something weird happened when I was fighting the Rouge thing." I responded, flexing my fingers.

"Well?"

I sighed. "When we were fighting, I felt this… These weird powers go through me. I don't know what caused it. One minute I was just trying to keep myself alive, the next I felt something pulsing inside me and shoved my hands out like this," I pushed my palms straight for the wall, "And two huge fire balls just shot out. I didn't click my fingers or anything."

"That's so cool! Can you do it again?" Tanith said excitedly. Skulduggery stayed silent. I met his gaze for a few moments, almost as if I was asking for his blessing. Standing up and pursing my lips, I went over and opened the window. Backing up a few feet from it, I held my arms out in front of me. Squinting, I tried to feel the same power that I had when fighting the Rouge. A few moments passed and I let out a huff of air, frustrated.

"I can't… I don't feel the same like I did then."

"If my memory serves me right, which it usually does, I recall Serpine saying something about you having blood of the Ancients in you." Skulduggery interjected.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, you were under stress during the fight, correct?"

"Well, duh, who wouldn't be? I was under stress with Serpine torturing me but I don't remember becoming a human flamethrower."

"Ah, there is the difference, Valkyrie. The Rouge Faceless One, while weak, is still a Faceless One, an enemy of the Ancients. No doubt that the Rouge recognized you as its adversary, and no doubt you subconsciously knew the bad blood, no pun intended, between the two from eons ago. I'm thinking that perhaps being around an enemy like that activated hidden potential from the Ancients."

We all thought on it for a moment. The more I spun it around my head, the more it made sense.

"Okay, but what happens if I'm _not _a descendent of the Ancients?"

"Then you're just a bigger freak that we thought you were."

"Says the 400 year old skeleton."

A few hours later, I phoned my parents. I felt like I owed it to them, telling them everything that was going on. After that was finished, I walked around the school grounds, nodding to every Cleaver that passed by. I realized that they were here for our protection, but the fact that they had to be called upon in these numbers was horrible.

My shoes crunched against the fallen leaves that lay along the path, providing a soft noise that filled the mostly silent property. Classes had resumed for the remaining students, and the officials were requiring for all students to attend. Of course, we didn't listen. Tanith and Skulduggery had gone to find Bliss and discuss matters with him, and Ghastly wandered back to his shop with his father. I was alone, not even the Cleavers were in this area at the moment.

Trees loomed over my head, the slight pattering of water from last night's rain accompanying my footsteps. Wind played with my hair, and I shoved my palms deep into my coat pockets.

_I don't know what to do. Should I just give up? No… Not after everything that I've been through here. If I survive this Serpine situation, though. Do I stay at the academy? Or should I return back to my home?_

_But.. I am home.. The academy. Skulduggery. Ghastly. Tanith. They have all become my family…_

"You're not the only one that has been hurt by Serpine." A voice called out. I whipped around, surprised to see Ray Scribe walking my way.

"What?"

"Serpine. You're not the only one that he's hurt." He shivered against the cold.

"What are you talking about, Ray?" My head was spinning. Serpine has dug his heels into Scribe, too?

"I hate him, you know. I've never told anyone this, by the way. I have this friend. She was, ah, she was kidnapped by Serpine a long time ago. No one believed me. The truce, and all that." Ray sniffed as I pursed my lips. "I guess it took him almost killing one of their most prized students for them to realize he was an issue." He let out a short bark of laughter.

"Most prized students? You can't be talking about me." Now I was even more confused.

"Of course I am." He spat, anger showing in his features. "Valkyrie Cain, the girl wonder. I've heard rumors that you're a direct daughter of the Last of the Ancients. Is that true?"

My body tensed, and I resisted clenching my fists. He was starting to look a little crazed. I couldn't tell what his problem was. Was it because they didn't believe him about his friend being taken? If I was him I'd be angry, too, but not like this… Not at someone who has been almost murdered by the same man.

"You need to leave, Scribe." I said, wary. He pitched forward, both of his fists balled up.

"Surely that's not Valkyrie that you're about to hit." Skulduggery said, his tone cold and angry. He was walking toward us casually, but the way he held his shoulders and arms said differently. Ray straightened up, and then his shoulders drooped back down. He seemed to be back to normal, and his hair hung in stringy clumps over his face.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He stuttered before turning and running off, stumbling over his own feet. Skulduggery watched him leave before making his way over, observing me with that emotionless skull. I averted my gaze, something fluttering in my stomach.

_Okay, so you might have a little crush on him. There's no way he'd go for you. Not a little girl. He'd want someone strong. He'd want someone beautiful._

_Like China. China is strong. She's beautiful. What is keeping him from choosing her over you, huh? _Nothing!

"That was strange." Skulduggery spoke, and I watched him out of the corner of my eyes. His stance had returned to normal. He was completely comfortable. He didn't seem awkward, he didn't seem to be looking at me for a second too long. He also didn't seem to _not_ want to be around me.

_See, you're only a friend. A really good friend. He probably thinks of you like a sister or something. Damnit, Valkyrie. Get it together!_

I shrugged, not trusting my voice. He observed me in that strange way of his for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Stephenie, eh?"

"Sorry?"

"Your given name. I remember… A few weeks ago. When I dropped you off at your parents' house."

"It's my house, too." I said defensively, but my resolve faded fast.

"Is it?" I didn't respond. "Anyway, your father called you Stephenie. Stephenie Edgley. I suppose after ages of knowing Gordon I somehow never knew your full name."

"Ah." I rubbed my arms against the chill that the wind brought on.

"It's very pretty." He said, and I watched his fingers dance down his suit jacket. He reached over and gently placed it over my shoulders. I smiled at him, pulling it around me.

_Damnit, Skulduggery. You are not helping!_

"Thank you."

"I like Valkyrie Cain, however." _Oh, god. I wish you did. _"It's very fitting." I grinned at him, all my nervousness slipping away. Even if I did have a teensy crush on him, he was still able to make me feel completely comfortable.

Especially wearing his clothes.

"How did your conversation with Bliss go?" I said, trying to steer away from uncomfortable conversation. No doubt I'd say something stupid.

"It was interesting. He brought up a good plan."

"Which is?"

"Using you as bait." I blanched.

"Doing _what?"_ Skulduggery sighed and took off his hat.

"I was very against it at first. But it does seem to be the only way. Serpine slithers out of his hole whenever he is trying to get to you. Otherwise, we don't hear or see a peep from him." I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he held up one hand. "You won't be in any danger. And this time, the plan is staying between us four. I cannot have any more information being fed to Serpine."

"I think Scribe may be the traitor." I said slowly. Skulduggerys head tilted at me.

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a few minutes ago, he told me that Serpine kidnapped a friend of is."

"Was he distraught about it?"

"Well, he _seemed_ pretty distraught."

"And understandably so."

"My point is," I continued on. "Anyway, he was angry and almost in tears. He's quiet most of the time and doesn't talk about is family or anything. He could have followed Ghastly and Tanith to your house. He also seemed really… Upset, that I was getting attention from Serpine."

"That's kind of farfetched, don't you think?"

"Probably. But it's the only lead I have. I can't think of anyone else that would do that."

"You would be surprised, Valkyrie." I turned to look at him, but he was staring toward the trees. The wind picked up, causing his tie to flap. "I have been around for many years. People have ways of being sneaky without letting anyone know any better."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?" I felt his gaze shift to me, but he didn't move.

"Let's go back inside. You're shivering." He was right. My fingers were cold and no doubt my nose was pink from the chill. Next time I see Ghastly, I'll have to ask him to whip me up some warmer clothes.

_I don't get how Tanith can stay in those leathers all the time. _We walked back to the dorms, and I relished the warm air that greeted us. Walking to the commons area, a few people gave us some strange looks. Skulduggery seemed none the wiser as he strolled toward an empty table.

With a blush I realized I was still wearing Skulduggerys coat. He gracefully sat down, and I handed it back to him. Just as we fell into a steady conversation that didn't involve Serpine, a handsome man in dark jeans, a black shirt, and tie walked up. Skulduggery shot back up out of his seat, and I watched as he shook the man's hand affectionately.

"Dexter! It's been ages." Skulduggery said. The man named Dexter laughed.

_He's kind of cute. _

"It truly has, Skulduggery. Are you going to introduce me to your friend here?" He turned toward me and smiled. I stuck my hand out to shake his but he grabbed it and pulled it up to his lips, kissing it. I grinned, and watched as Skulduggery bristled. "My name is Dexter Vex."

"Valkyrie Cain." I drawled, and Skulduggery made a coughing sound. We all sat back down, Dexter beside Skulduggery and I on the other side of the table.

"What brings you here?" Skulduggery asked, observing him.

"I hear you have had some trouble with a certain sorcerer. I sighed.

"You could say that." I responded.

"Well, I'm here to help. Whatever you need me to do, just call me up and let me know."

"I appreciate the offer, Dexter, but I don't want you getting hurt either." Skulduggery protested, shaking his head.

"Ah, you old fart. That's not an issue. I want to help my friends."

"I'm your friend?" I interjected. He looked at me and winked.

"As pretty as you are?" Before he could continue, Skulduggery interrupted, an unfamiliar tone in his voice. I looked at him strangely.

"Alright, Vex. Alright. You're as stubborn as she is." Dexter smiled and clapped his hands together.

"Perfect! Do you think the Elders would let me hang around the school until this issue is resolved?"

"As handsome as you are?" I joked. Skulduggery started to look.. Agitated. Was he jealous of our harmless flirting?

Do I want him to be?


	15. Chapter 15

**HEY THERE I'm starting school on Monday (the 26****th****, ugh) so I thought I'd give you guys a little treat before I disappear again! My boss told me that when school starts ill get more hours, so. I have 2 free periods at the end of the day however, so when I get into a good routine ill start brining my laptop to school to work on chapters.**

**Anyway, I thought you guys might like a little inside into Skulduggerys character. It's a short little chapter, but I hope that it'll hold you all over for a bit. Enjoy and Review!**

****SKULDUGGERY P.O.V.****

Skulduggery stood at the entrance to the room where Valkyrie was attacked last, one hand resting against the doorway. He had trekked back to his home, saying that he needed to pick up a few things. It was half true; he _was_ planning on grabbing a few suits and the rest of Valkyries belongings and bringing them back to the academy.

The real reason, though, was that he needed to be alone. He needed to get ahold of himself, he needed to take control of the anger and rage that had resurfaced with Serpine. It was sad, really, that the man that (unsuccessfully) killed him was still able to bring up these kinds of emotions that Skulduggery had kept hidden. It frustrated him, but he needed the anger to fuel the attack against Serpine. He couldn't afford to be distracted or hesitant. Not when Valkyries life was at stake, no.

It scared him. Ha, Skulduggery Pleasant? Scared? What a sight. What an awful, pitiful sight. Was he scared that he was going to die? No. Was he scared that Fletcher was going to die? Maybe not. Was he scared that his friends, Ghastly and Tanith, were going to die? Yes. Was he scared that Valkyrie was going to die? Terrified. Petrified. Mortified. He hated these feelings. He hated worrying about someone like he was.

And yet, he loved it. He loved the feeling of warmth that Valkyrie brought him. He loved the way her smile, her laughter brought him joy. She gave him a purpose. Cheesy, right? God, he must have been a sight. A love sick puppy dog hiding his feelings from everyone, even himself.

Oh, Valkyrie. He hadn't felt like this toward another human being in years. In _decades._ Centuries. Her beautiful grin was amplified tenfold when Skulduggery was the cause of it.

Skulduggery, this monster. This murderer. This dead man. This creature that has secrets that if they got out, it would ruin every single friendship he had somehow managed to make and keep over the years. He made someone happy, even if it's only for a few seconds.

In those seconds, however. That is where it matters. Throughout all of their shared jokes, their moments in training, the times Valkyrie woke to Skulduggery by her bedside when she was injured. He fell in love with her. Her dark hair, her pale skin. Her sweet laughter, the twinkle in her eyes.

Her fierceness. Her determination.

She was strong. Even when she first came to the academy, when her magic abilities and fighting skills were subpar, she still gave her best. Now, after weeks and months of training, muscles corded their way across her body and magic brimmed at her fingers. It was amazing watching her change, yet stay the exact same. She still had the sharp tongue and sarcasm that she brought with her to the school. Oh, god. And when she snapped at that horrid Remus Crux…

It wasn't just Skulduggery that she had entrapped, either. The schools grouchy old doctor, Kenspeckle had a huge soft spot for her, too. Valkyrie always managed to make him smile. Kenspeckle didn't like Skulduggery much, but he had softened his demeanor against him since Valkyrie showed up.

Skulduggery slowly walked into the room, taking in everything. He stepped over the door that China had blasted off the hinges, his eyes skimming the damage. He remembered how terrified he felt that night…

***flashback***

_I flicked through the pages of the cookbook, trying to find something easy to learn that I thought Valkyrie might like. Finally, I found something that seemed good, and I started to read the page carefully, attempting to get the recipe memorized._

_Suddenly, footsteps sounded, coming in my direction. I glanced up, quickly shutting the book. Valkyrie walked in, her hair messy. I tried not to notice how tightly her shirt clung to her body. She wandered over to the refrigerator, grabbing a drink and raising an eyebrow at me. _

_She spoke, her voice soundly sleepy and amused. "Are you reading a cookbook?" _

_I responded "No" and pushed the book to the floor, out of her sight, and she laughed. _

"_For me? Aw, Skul. You're so sweet." I resisted blurting out everything to her and straightened in my seat, clearing my throat. _

_"It is only the gentleman thing to do for the owner of the house to serve the guest appropriately. You have been making your own meals since you came here; I figured I could master the art of cooking once more." She thought on that for a moment, then rested her head on her arms. _

"_I miss being at the school. I miss the sparring, and training with magic."_

_"You and I have been doing both of those things since you have been here." It was true. We had been training every day since she has been here. _

_"Yeah, you and me. It's nice to actually beat someone occasionally. Like Ray Scribe. I always beat him."_

_"Valkyrie, a piece of string tied around a rock could beat him." I teased. She scowled at me, and I pretended that I didn't do a thing wrong. _

_"As I was saying… I just hope this Serpine nonsense is over soon. I don't like being the target of someone." She filled her cheeks up with air and let it puff out with a whistle. _

_"It gets pretty unnerving after a while." She raised her eyebrow again, then stood up and put her half empty water back in the refrigerator. _

"_I'm gonna go back to sleep." I hesitated long enough for her to reach the door, then called her name. She turned around, looking at me expectantly. I felt everything rising up in me. _

This was it._ I thought._ I'm going to tell her everything. I'm going to tell her about my feelings for her.

"_Listen…" I started, then froze. A black shape shot out behind her, and I lunged, trying to reach her before it did. I was unsuccessful. It took hold of her, dragging her back into the room, the door slamming shut. I started cursing, the doorknob only wiggling in my grip. I started to kick and punch the door, but it wouldn't budge. Yanking my phone out of my pocket, I called Fletcher, ordering him to teleport China over. Thankfully she was at the academy putting up protective signs all over the grounds. _

_Valkyrie screamed, and I flinched. China and Fletcher burst into the room. Fletcher must not have trusted himself to teleport inside the house. China demanded to know what was going on, and I told her. She nodded and pressed her hands against the door, closing her eyes. Something bright glowed beneath her palms, and her eyes shot open as the door flew off the wall and into the room. I shoved past her, making sure Valkyrie was still alive as I drew my gun and pointed it at the thing. Fletcher teleported beside Valkyrie then they both disappeared, and I heard Fletcher rapidly taking to her. _

_China started speaking. "It's useless to shoot it, Skulduggery. You won't kill it with simple bullets." My arm didn't waver. "It's a Faceless One, Skulduggery. It's useless." That's when I lowered my gun. She continued talking, and then the thing disappeared. _

****end flashback****

Skulduggery stopped thinking about the memory before he got to the more painful moments of it. He walked through the room, avoiding the spot on the carpet where Valkyries blood had splattered. His fingers skimmed the overturned couch, but he didn't bother picking it up.

It was almost too difficult being in the room. Emotions began to overwhelm him, and he quickly left, turning around and not looking back. He sighed when he realized that he never grabbed the rest of Valkyries stuff. He hated the idea of disappointing her, but he was afraid of what might happen if he looked at the damage again.

Skulduggery walked into the kitchen, his palms pressing into the counter as he leaned forward, staring out the window that was over the sink. It was nighttime, everyone at the academy should be resting or asleep. It was a nice night, warm with a cool breeze. Valkyrie would have enjoyed it.

A soft pop interrupted the silence, and Skulduggery slowly turned around to see Fletcher standing there. His hair was as ridiculous as always, but he looked somber and a little shy.

"Oh, hey. There you are. Valkyrie is up, and, ah, wanted to know where you were."

"I'm right here."

"Yeah, I uh. I see that. Listen, Skulduggery, can we talk?" The skeleton tilted his head but didn't respond. "I just wanted to say… I think you should go for it, dude."

"Excuse me?"

"I see the way you look at her. Er, sort of. Considering you don't have eyes. I don't know. I just. You act weird around her. I know you like her." Again, he remained silent, but his thoughts were racing. Was it that obvious?

As if he was reading Skulduggerys mind, Fletcher shook his head. "Valkyrie is clueless, of course. But, I see the way she looks at you, too. You fancy her. She fancys you."

"Valkyrie does not fancy me, that is absurd." Fletcher broke out into a smile.

"Oh, my god! You didn't say you didn't fancy her!"

_Damnit, I didn't even notice._

Skulduggery pushed himself forward and walked past Fletcher, ignoring the comments he was making. He walked out to the Bentley, clicking the keys to unlock the door. Fletcher followed him out, smirking.

"You've got nothing to lose, Skulduggery. Like I said before, go for it. You can't deny the feelings you have for her."

"You sure do act like you know a lot, Fletcher."

"Just having a man to man conversation. You don't have to act like I'm some annoying self-entitled teleporter, Skul." Fletcher softened, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I saw you try to kiss her at the dance. I saw how you looked at her in that dress. She looked beautiful, yeah. But it wasn't just a look of admiration that you were giving her." Skulduggery stared at him for a moment before opening the car door, swinging himself into the driver's seat. Fletcher gave him a smile, and it was genuine.

"You need to tell her." The teleporter said. Skulduggery started the car.

"I'll tell her when the time is right." He responded simply, slamming the door. Fletcher smiled once more, and disappeared just as Skulduggery peeled out of the driveway.


	16. PLEASE READ

Hey all. Skeletonflight here. I know it has been forever since I have updated, and I'm really sorry about that. I'm just posting this to let you all know that I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS FIC! I've been out of internet for 2+ weeks now and just got it back, and we've been moving to a new home. I've been pretty overwhelmed with life and I'm in a tough part of the story to write. I'm going to try to get a chapter out within the next week. Sorry! Please don't give up on me!

Much love,

skeletonflight


	17. Chapter 16

**EY-YO AN UPDATE FINALLY RIGHT? WASSUP. **

**Sorry about the wait. Refer to the authors note. If you check out my page on here you can find a link to the blog that is regarding this and my other fan fictions. There you can find more about when there is an update and if a chapter is in works or not. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I really do. After what, like two months. It better be good, right? Ha. Enjoy, review, rate, all that jazz. Bai. **

"I don't like this idea," I grumbled, smashing a stick under the heel of my boot.

"What was that?" Skulduggery shifted his gaze to me. I shook my head and sighed.

Skulduggery and I were walking around the grounds of the Academy, my boots and his dress shoes softly crunching under the bone-white snow. The snow had come unexpectedly; a hard, cold and crisp wind blew in for a week before the little white flakes had calmed the sky. It was beautiful, and almost seemed blasphemous to have something this amazing here at the school when so many bad things were going on. Skulduggery and I have made this walk many times before, and each time we were more and more stressed about the situation. Well, _I_ was stressed. Skulduggery, of course, never showed when he was worried, much to my frustration.

I knew it was difficult for him though, seeming like we were under Serpine's control. It had to be eating Skulduggery up inside knowing Serpine is a step ahead of us at all times. I had voiced this concern to him a few nights ago; all he had said was that sometimes it was best to not worry how many steps they were ahead, only how big their steps were. To me, it seemed like we were many, many short steps behind.

"It's only a matter of time, Valkyrie." He spoke, his soothing voice snapping me out of my thoughts. I glanced at his form out of the corner of my eye. His skull and neck were the only areas of him exposed, and they almost seemed to melt into the white of the forest. His suit, however, seemed to be made of the blackest night. A deep purple shirt was tucked neatly under it, and his gloves were shiny leather. It was striking against the pure light of the snow.

I was wearing my classic combat boots that Ghastly made for me ages ago, a pair of black skinnies also commissioned by Ghastly, and a new protective, warm coat that was black save for the collar and inside fabric, which were a dark purple. _Not unlike the color Skulduggery has on…_ I noted with a jolt. Strange.

"You've been saying that for weeks now." I responded finally, shoving my hands deeper into my coat pockets.

"And eventually, I will be right."

"I thought you were always right."

"I am."

"But you just said—"I was interrupted by another set of footfalls behind us. We both glanced back, and I noted with a grin in Skulduggerys direction that it was Dexter who was quickly jogging toward us.

"You're back." Skulduggery stated once he reached us, causing me to look at him strangely.

"He's back?" I turned toward Dexter. "I didn't realize you left."

"Ah, yes. Ghastly and I along with a few others went to see if we could find any trace of Serpine." My lips parted in shock.

"For—What? Why didn't you take me with you?" This time, I spun toward Skulduggery.

"You were asleep, and we left fairly early." Dexter responded quickly, waving his hands.

"I've been awake since four in the morning." I scowled at him, crossing my arms. "Who told you I was asleep?"

"Uh." His eyes flickered slightly to the left then back at me. I groaned, then spun on my heel and began walking toward the front of the school.

"Sorry, Skul." I heard Dexter mutter before their footsteps began behind me. "Aww, c'mon Val. It's okay. We didn't find anything. Just some snow, that's all."

"I bet if I was with you, we would have found him." I called behind me, quickening my stride.

"That's not necessarily a good thing, Valkyrie." Skulduggerys voice floated up to me. My hand gently reached up, my fingers fluttering against the scar on my neck. I was about to respond when my glower froze on my face, my body becoming still. I cocked my head at the ground, trying to figure out what I was looking at. There was a bright red splatter on the snow, breaking the serenity of the white.

"Is that… Blood?" I asked cautiously, waiting for the two men to catch up to me. There was a trail of it leading to the forest, and something cold settled in the pit of my stomach. "Maybe it's from an animal." I faltered, dropping my hand from my neck.

"It's too cold for the animals that live around here to be…" Dexter began, but trailed off as I started to follow the trail.

"This probably isn't a good idea." Dexter spoke.

"Nope." Skulduggery responded.

"We're going to follow her anyway."

"Yep." They were both quiet for a moment before starting off after me. I was careful not to mix my footprints with the blood, if we got too far into the forest we were going to need a way out. The amount of snow that lay on the forest floor started to dwindle; the trees had blocked the majority that fell. A few minutes later; there was no trace of winter in between the trees. Not even the wind broke through the forest.

I huffed in frustration, kicking a small pile of dead leaves. I had lost the trail. After backtracking then walking to the same spot 3 times (and a few laughs from Dexter), I sat down against a tree, folding my arms. The search for the blood source had gone nowhere.

Dexter plopped down beside me, throwing a lazy arm across my shoulders. Skulduggery remained standing, his gaze sweeping across the trees.

"Maybe it was just a dead animal." Dexter offered, shaking me slightly with his arm. I grunted, glancing up at Skulduggery.

"Something is wrong…" He murmured. There was a crack, like someone stepping on a limb, and it didn't come from any one of us. Dexter and I jumped up as Skulduggery pulled his gun out, holding it low against his body. Dexter flexed his palms and I clicked my fingers, drawing up a flame.

"You don't think that it's a mortal, do you? Maybe someone got lost." I asked.

"I hope not." Dexter gave Skulduggery a pointed look.

The crunching sound came again, this time from the opposite direction. There was a whistling sound from behind me, and I suddenly found myself hurling toward the floor. Something had hit me from behind. My face was now smushed into the cold floor. A rock jabbed me near the eye, and I winced. Something warm seeped through the back of my coat.

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery called out, and I heard both of them run toward me.

"Oh, god." Dexter whispered. I struggled to push myself up. I angled myself, and felt whatever it was began sliding off. The weight was suddenly lifted off of me, and I rolled onto my back, trying to figure out what happened. The look on Dexters face froze me in my spot.

I looked down where Skulduggery was crouched in front of me, holding a body in his arms. It was a woman, her body emancipated and grey. Dirty tatters of clothing hung off her skeletal-thin body, and her lifeless eyes stared upward at nothing. Her eyes… Her eyes that looked so familiar, eyes that I have seen a billion times before.

"It's Ghastlys mother." Skulduggery announced grimly, sending shock throughout my body. Sitting up, I leaned toward her, my mouth opened in shock. She was beautiful, even with the poor shape her body had died in. I realized that it was blood that had penetrated my coat. Her blood. Her warm blood…

"She hasn't been dead for long," I spoke urgently. I watched as a heavy trail of her blood dripped from the center of her chest down her arm. "That means Serpine—" A low chuckle floated through the air.

"Serpine _what_, my dear?" Nefarian Serpine walked into view, a wicked smile plastered across his face. Billy Ray Sanguine shot up beside him, sunglasses perched on his nose. The Rogue was not in sight. Skulduggery shot up, gun still in hand, and fired three quick shots, the gun dead center with Serpines chest. The bullets stopped a foot from his heart. We stared as the bullets twisted around and faced us. A sick grin spread across Sanguines face as we realized what was happening. The bullets wouldn't hurt Skulduggery; but Dexter and I…

The bullets floated there, still, as frozen as we were. Skulduggery's gun hand didn't waver, but his finger came off the trigger.

"What are you doing here?" Skulduggery was the first to speak, his voice low.

"To see if you have reconsidered. Lovely search this morning, by the way. You all _almost_ came close to finding where I was. I missed you there, however, Valkyrie. Where were you?" I didn't respond. "Ah, well. As I was saying. Logic states that if you would just hand your little self over to me and save all of your friends-" He glanced down at Ghastlys mom, her body now laying in my lap. "All this trouble."

"_Logic states_ that isn't going to happen, Serpine." He clucked his tongue.

"You've already killed one person that is dear to your friends. You want to kill more?"

"I haven't killed _anyone_! You killed them! You murdered them! You're the one that is afraid of a simple sixteen year old girl!" I shouted, coming to my feet. Serpine lurched forward angrily, his voice turning to a snarl.

"You are so much more than a _sixteen year old girl! _You are so much worse than that!" He growled. The bullets flew off in random directions, shattering into the trees.

He was losing control.

"No, I'm not, Serpine. I'm sixteen. I haven't even been professionally training with magic for a year, and you're afraid of me." I stepped toward him, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Skulduggery snap his head toward me in a warning. I ignored him. "You're afraid of me, so you want to kill me. It doesn't work that way."

"I want to kill you because you are Da—" His words were cut off by another shot from Skulduggerys gun. The bullet was followed by a fire ball from me, and Serpine stumbled backwards, cursing. "This ends tonight, Valkyrie Cain!" He shouted as Sanguine grabbed his arm and dragged him underground.

We were all still for a moment.

"Well, that was cheesy." Dexter broke the silence. I turned, walking over to where Ghastlys mothers body lay. Grimacing, I closed her eyes.

"Someone has to break the news to Ghastly… I'll do it."

"Valkyrie—" Skulduggery began.

"No, Skulduggery. It's fine. It's my fault she is dead anyway.

"Don't you say that. It is no one's fault but Serpine, you said it yourself." I sighed.

I told Ghastly and his father the news the moment we got back to the Academy. It was the most painful thing that I think I have ever had to do, and the look on their faces did not help at all. Ghastly seemed to go into shock. His father ran to the bathroom, and a few seconds later the sounds of him vomiting filled the air. He disappeared, and we have no idea where he is. Dexter went in search for him, but was so far unsuccessful. Skulduggery and I sat side by side on one of the beds, and Ghastly had his head resting in Taniths lap on the other. I know that Skulduggery, Ghastly, and Tanith have experienced death before, but this was hitting them all hard. Even though I had never met her, I joined their mourning.

Skulduggerys hand rested on my lower back as I rubbed my temples, and the pressure was calming. His arm slid up and around my shoulders, pulling me to his side. I rested my head on his shoulder, shutting my eyes as his fingers rubbed my arm.

"He was right." Skulduggery murmured into my ear.

"Hm?"

"Serpine. He was right. You aren't _just_ a sixteen year old girl." I looked up at him, surprised. He cleared his throat, catching Taniths and Ghastlys attention. "We need to be prepared. Serpine said 'this ends tonight'. We need to watch out and stay alert. I've already warned Bliss and the Elders. Cleavers are on their way."

"Extra Cleavers, you mean."

"Right. Yes. As I was saying, we need to be prepared. He could come at any time. Ghastly, Tanith, you two go down to Bliss and discuss battle plans."

Battle plans.

They left, leaving Skulduggery and I by ourselves.

"What were you saying earlier today? Before Serpine." Skulduggery asked me. He hadn't moved from my side, and the room suddenly felt very small.

"What? Oh. That. I was saying I didn't like the idea of being used as bait." Skulduggery nodded.

"It looks like you may not have be now."

"Yeah. Looks like it."

Silence.

"Valkyrie?

"Yeah?" He shifted, and I glanced up at him, realizing with a shock that he had changed into his façade.

"Seeing as we very well may be dying in the next few hours…" He muttered to himself, and then cleared his throat again. He looked at me, his green eyes determined and… there was something else in them that I couldn't pinpoint. "Valkyrie. I have something to tell you." He opened his mouth then promptly closed it. I was reminded of the dance, and I was suddenly very aware of how close he was, how warm he was, and how very _alone_ we were. Something sparked inside of me, and I guess Skulduggery sensed it. He began to lean toward me, his hands coming up and resting gently on either side of my face. The leather was soft on my skin as his thumbs carefully pushed my chin up.

My heart started pounding, and I was frozen in my seat. The next few seconds dragged on for hours, his lips, only millimeters way from mine, were miles. The hours passed, the miles were crossed, and suddenly, Skulduggerys lips were on mine.

His lips were confident but light against mine, testing me. I kissed him back gently, carefully. My chest felt like it was going to burst into a million different pieces, a million different emotions thrashing throughout it. My head was swimming.

It seemed almost inappropriate, kissing in a situation like this.

My teeth caught his bottom lip, and suddenly the flame that flickered between us exploded.

His hands buried themselves into my hair, pushing my lips against his even harder. He pushed his chest against mine, gently lowering me down. My head hit the pillow, and one of his hands went to support his weight. It felt like every inch of me was touching every inch of him, and yet it wasn't enough. Every emotion, every feeling, every moment of want that I had suppressed about him came up and was now making themselves known through my lips.

I had never seen Skulduggery out of control like this. I had never seen him ungentlemanly. I liked it.

Our kisses became more urgent, his hand tighter in my hair. This time, it was his teeth that caught my lip. A shudder went through me, and that only seemed to set him off even more. His hand left my hair, trailing down my waist. I had changed into a tank top and one of the coats Ghastly made me, putting the blood soaked jacket in the laundry, and now he was pushing the coat off my shoulders. I shrugged it off as his hand went down to my hip, pulling me closer to him. My fingers curled themselves into his shirt, bunching it up into my fists and forcing him against me. His lips started to trail down my jaw, to my neck—

A high pitched screeching noise broke our kiss. We jerked up, his eyes and hair wild, and chances are I looked the same. We realized it was the fire alarm. A fire..?

Skulduggery looked at me gravely, the want in his eyes now tightened with dread.

The tone in his voice was enough to send a chill through my body, and not a good one.

"He's here."


End file.
